LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

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ISSUED  BY  ammiiL^^  ^,^^, 

STATE.  SUPERINTENDENT  SrrUBLIC  IflSTRUCTION 


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THE  SCHOOL 
BEAUTIFUL 

•^'       1907       -W" 


BY 

MAUD  BARNETT 

State  Library  Clerk 


That  is  the  most  beautiful  which  at  the 
right  time  is  in  the  right  place. — Millet 


ISSUED   BY 

C.  P.  GARY,  State  Superintendent 


MADISON 

Democrat  Printing  Co.,  State  Printer 
1907 


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INTRODUCTION. 


This  bulletin  has  been  prepared  and  sent  out  for  the  purpose 
of  calling  the  attention  of  teachers,  school  officers  and  the  general 
public  to  the  need  of  our  schools  in  respect  to  decoration  and  sani- 
tation. In  a  word,  we  believe  the  schools  should  be  both  beau- 
tiful and  sanitary.  At  present  it  is  little  exaggeration  to  say  they 
are  neither.  The  walls  of  our  average  schoolrooms,  particularly 
in  the  country,  are  dingy  and  bare.  If  not  bare,  then  covered 
with  chromos  and  other  disfigurements  named  pictures.  To  find 
a  schoolroom  having  properly  painted  woodwork,  walls  and  ceil- 
ing, one  must  search  far  and  wide  among  country  and  village 
schools,  while  in  city  schools,  rooms  that  appeal  to  the  artistic 
sense  are  far  from  common. 

It  is  needless  to  say  children  delight  in  the  beautiful ;  they  are 
educated  by  the  beautiful  and  appropriate.  The  sense  of  beauty 
develops  under  favorable  conditions  and  affects  for  good  the 
whole  attitude  toward  life.  The  love  of  the  beautiful  is  neces- 
sary to  the  complete  man.  If  this  fact  had  been  duly  appreciated 
at  all  times  by  school  boards  and  the  general  public,  doubtless 
long  before  this  the  average  schoolroom  and  schoolgrounds  would 
have  been  made  attractive. 

On  the  sanitary  side  it  may  be  said  that  the  preservation  of  the 
health  of  our  school  children  is  the  preservation  and  utilization 
of  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  wealth  and  happiness.  He  who 
can  do  a  day's  work  in  a  day,  and  a  year's  work  in  a  year,  has  a 
tremendous  advantage  over  the  man  who  is  feeble,  sickly,  or 
otherwise  incapacitated  for  strenuous  labor.  To  shut  up  our  chil- 
dren in  dark,  dingy,  unventilated  schoolhouses,  in  this  day  of 
knowledge  and  enlightenment,  is  little  short  of  criminal.  Shall 
we  not  have  in  this  state,  a  revolution  with  respect  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  schoolgrounds  and  school  buildings  both  exterior 
and  interior,  but  particularly  the  latter,  and  shall  we  not  also  revo- 
lutionize our  schools  with  respect  to  heating,  lighting  and  venti- 
lating ? 

C.  P.  Gary, 
State  Superintendent. 


172666 


Sraie/ut  ac/cnowieeiffmoni 

Of  assistance  in  the  preparation  of  this  pamphlet  is 
made  to  Mr.  Alexander  Mueller.  Director  Milwau- 
kee Art  Students'  League,  Mihvaiikee,  Wis.;  Mr. 
John  Cotton  Dana,  Public  Library,  Nezvark,  N.  J.; 
Mr.  C.  J.  Jorgenson,  Milzcaukee,  Wis.;  F'rof.  E.  P. 
Sandsten,  University  of  Wisconsin,  Madison,  Wis.; 
Prof.  L.  H.  Clark,  Normal  School,  River  Falls, 
Wis.;  Prof.  L  N.  Mitchell,  Normal  School,  Mihvau- 
kee.  Wis.;  Priii.  W.  L.  Smithy  man,  Milwaukee, 
Wis.;  and  Supt.  Julia  Rockafcllow,  Waukesha,  Wis. 


The  design   for  the  cover  of  this   book  zvus  made   by 
Miss  L.  Zimmerman,  Mihvaukee,  Wis. 


SCHOOLROOM    DECORATION 


THE  SCHOOL  BEAUTIFUL. 


Any  child  has  an  inherent  right  to  a  clean,  neat,  airy  and 
attractive  room  in  which  to  spend  his  days  at  school.  If 
the  schoolroom  is  not  hygienic,  if  it  offers  nothing  of  the 
beautiful,  nothing  in  its  interior  arrangement  and  decoration  of 
those  influences  which  ennoble  character  and  make  for  content- 
ment, he  will  suft'er  physically  and  mentally  and  spiritually;  he 
will  not,  w'hen  his  school  days  are  over,  step  out  into  the  world 
with  a  well  rounded  education  or  an  appreciation  of  what  the  life 
that  is  his  may  hold  in  store  for  him. 

The  first  duty  of  the  teacher  who  does  not  find  a  clean  and 
attractive  room  ready  for  occupation,  is  to  make  that  room  as 
clean  and  attractive  as  is  possible.  At  first  blush,  the  task  may 
seem  beset  with  many  difficulties.  The  glaring  whitewashed 
walls,  the  bane  of  so  many  schools,  the  unscrubbed  floor,  the 
dingy  paint,  in  truth  the  entire  atmosphere  of  the  room,  speak  of 
a  ])ublic  spirit  lying  dormant  largely  because  of  the  demand  for 
strictly  utilitarian  instruction.  This  must  be  met  by  arousing 
the  ever  present  spirit  which  wishes  the  child  to  have  the  best 
the  community  can  afford,  and  by  directing  to  the  bare  and  deso- 
late schoolroom  the  human  desire  to  adorn  and  beautify.  What 
remains  to  be  done  thereafter  will  be  mere  detail  of  organization 
and  direction. 

How  to  go  about  this  work,  the  teacher's  own  good  judgment 
will  best  dictate.  There  are  no  two  places  just  alike  and  no  rules 
can  Ix'  laid  down  for  guidance.  Tact  and  perseverance  will  ac- 
complish much. 

[9] 


In  an  article  written  by  E.  C.  Brooks  for  the  September  World's 
Work  is  given  "the  story  of  a  little  group  of  college  students  who 
formed  an  organization  of  thousands  of  women  who  have  revolu- 
tionized the  school  buildings  and  school  grounds  of  a  whole 
state."  The  state  is  North  Carolina  and  the  women  who  inspired 
the  movement  were  students  in  the  Normal  and  Industrial  College 
of  Greensboro.  The  organization  was  formed  in  1902  and  now 
has  a  membership  of  several  thousand.  It  has  done  or  has 
caused  to  be  done  a  vast  amount  of  work  in  the  betterment  of 
schoolhouses  and  schoolgrounds.  County  associations  were 
formed  later  on,  to  be  members  of  which  all  white  women  of  each 
county  were  invited.  To  give  some  idea  of  what  the  county 
associations  have  accomplished,  I  quote  the  report  made  by  a  com- 
mittee appointed  to  decide  a  contest  for  a  prize  of  $100  offered 
by  the  Wayne  County  Association  to  the  district  of  the  county 
that  would  make  the  greatest  improvement. 

"This  district,  No.  1,  New  Hope  township,  Wayne  county.  Miss 
Bertha  Casey,  teacher,  contains  only  sixteen  families  with  chil- 
dren of  school  age.  There  are  only  forty  children  on  the  census. 
The  average  attendance  for  the  four  months'  term  was  twenty- 
seven.  The  local  association  had  a  membership  of  seventy-five 
and  held  eight  meetings  during  the  school  term.  Of  the  sixteen 
families  all  are  farmers  and  only  eight  own  the  land  on  which 
they  live.  Only  one  of  them  has  had  the  advantage  of  a  high 
school  education.  Seven  of  them  tended  only  a  one-horse  farm. 
Not  a  mother  in  the  district  had  any  help  except  what  the  children 
could  give  night  and  morning.  Most  of  these  mothers  were  mem- 
bers of  the  association  and  were  always  present  at  the  meetings. 

They  raised  by  entertainments  $141.70.  They  enlarged  the 
grounds  to  twice  their  former  size,  taking  up  scraggy  trees, 
stumps,  and  trash.  They  leveled  the  grounds,  laid  off  walks  and 
planted  young  trees  and  flowers.  They  built  an  addition  to  the 
school  building,  put  in  new  lights,  built  new  steps,  and  painted 
the  building  inside  and  outside.  They  paid  the  music  teacher's 
board,  laundry,  and  part  of  her  salary.  They  bought  an  organ,  a 
library,  and  several  pictures  which  now  adorn  the  walls.  They 
polished  the  stove,  cleaned  the  floor  and  desks,  and  provided 
places  for  hats  and  wraps.     They  did  all  this  without  cost  to  the 

school  fund." 

[101 


o 


THE 


^ 


I  also  quote  what  the  president  of  the  State  Association  says  of 
the  Local  Association : 

"It  can  have  a  new  school  house  built,  or  the  old  one  repaired 
and  painted;  it  can  have  rough  and  uncomfortable  benches  ex- 
changed for  good  desks ;  it  can  have  black  boards  multiplied ;  it 
can  have  the  floor  scrubbed,  the  stove  polished,  the  windows 
washed ;  it  can  have  shades  or  curtains  added  to  the  windows ;  it 
can  have  pictures  placed  on  the  walls ;  it  can  secure  a  library  and 
keep  it  growing ;  it  can  bring  into  the  school  good  magazines  and 
papers;  it  can  give  interesting  and  profitable  entertainments, 
which  will  be  of  no  less  value  to  the  community  than  to  the 
school ;  it  can  beautify  the  school  grounds  by  having  stumps  re- 
moved, grass  and  flowers  planted  and  play  grounds  laid  off. 
Finally  it  can  uphold  the  hand  of  the  teacher,  help  her,  encourage 
her,  and  stimulate  her  in  her  difficult  and  trying  work.  The  work 
will  interest  the  community  in  the  community's  school  and  the 
community's  children ;  it  will  teach  the  few  to  subordinate  per- 
sonal advantage  to  the  welfare  of  the  whole ;  it  will  discourage 
those  two  most  bitter  and  most  fatal  foes  to  educational  progress 
— local  prejudices  and  neighborhood  misunderstandings.  This 
is  the  work  that  the  local  association,  and  only  the  local  associa- 
tion, can  do." 

From  these  two  quotations  it  may  be  seen  what  women  of  other 
communities  have  done  to  help  other  teachers.  Let  me  ask  the 
teacher  of  any  Wisconsin  rural  school  which  has  never  been  made 
beautiful — why  not  get  the  women  of  your  community  who  are, 
most  of  them,  so  much  better  supplied  with  this  world's  goods 
than  those  spoken  of  above,  to  help  you  ? 

There  are  many  ways  of  securing  money  to  spend  on  the  im- 
provement of  schoolhouses  and  schoolyards.  The  best  way  is 
to  have  the  school  board  appropriate  it.  But  the  wants  of  the 
school  may  exceed  even  the  generosity  of  the  board  and  in  that 
case  school  entertainments  may  be  given.  A  concert  is  a  quite 
usual  means,  I  believe.  Sociables  sometimes  meet  with  success, 
and  exhibits  of  the  work  of  the  pupils  might  do  well. 
The  Chicago  Art  Education  Co.,  215  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  III, 
and  the  Horace  K.  Turner  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.,  offer  to  lend  ex- 
hibits of  their  pictures  to  schools  desiring  to  raise  funds  for  the 

[13] 


buying  of  pictures  and  other  things  necessary  to  a  comfortable 
and  pleasant  schoolroom.  These  exhibits  will  fill  a  twofold  pur- 
pose. Not  only  will  they  be  a  help  in  the  raising  of  money,  but 
they  will  also  afford  teachers  and  pupils  and  parents  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  study  art.  These  two  firms  will  send  terms  and 
full  instructions  concerning  the  lending  of  the  pictures  upon  ap- 
plication. The  exhibitors  are  not  required  to  pay  any  guarantee. 
It  is  doubtful,  however,  if  the  plan  will  be  feasible  in  any  town 
having  less  than  a  thousand  inhabitants. 

The  sensible  teacher  will  determine  what  method  of  raising 
money  will  best  apply  in  her  community.  It  is  usually  wise  for  a 
teacher  to  consult  with  a  few  of  the  most  progressive  people  of 
her  town  or  district  with  reference  to  such  matters  before  making 
a  beginning. 

CLEANLINESS. 

Let  your  means  of  acquiring  funds  be  what  they  may,  see 
that  the  room  is  thoroughly  cleaned.  Omit  no  crack,  nor  corner, 
nor  closet,  nor  shelf.  Leave  no  dust  anywhere.  Take  down 
from  the  walls  and  destroy  all  traces  of  old  work  and  all 
decorations  which  have  accumulated  dust  and  smoke.  If  there 
are  any  really  good  framed  pictures  of  course  they  should  be 
saved,  but  if  the  pictures  are  not  absolutely  good,  it  is  better  not 
to  put  them  up  again.  Bare  walls  are  better  than  those  decorated 
with  specimens  of  poor  art. 

Go  through  your  book  shelves  and  cast  out  all  rubbish  which 
you  may  find  there.  The  book  case  is  often  made  a  catch-all 
for  odds  and  ends.  It  is  intended  for  books  and  should  be 
used  for  that  purpose  alone.  Select  the  books  which  need  mend- 
ing and  put  them  aside  until  you  can  find  time  to  mend  them. 
See  that  the  others  are  upright  on  the  shelves  and  ready  for  use. 

If  you  have  a  chart  or  a  map  in  your  room  which  is  torn, 
mend  it  neatly.  All  charts  and  maps  should  be  hung  with  pre- 
cision. 

Scour  up  the  old  bell  and  the  water  pails  and  all  the  cups.  The 
water  bench,  if  you  have  one,  should  be  painted  to  match  the 
woodwork.     Where  there  is  no  other  arrangement  for  drinking 

[14] 


water,  there  should  always  be  two  pails,  one  for  fresh  water,  the 
other  for  the  water  left  in  the  cups  after  drinking.  The  use  of 
the  pail  for  slops  should  often  be  called  to  the  attention  of  the 
pupils.  Drinking  water  should  not  be  allowed  to  stand  long  in 
an  open  pail  in  a  warm  room.  It  soon  becomes  infected.  Fresh 
water  should  be  supplied  with  frequency.  Children  should  be 
encouraged  to  bring  individual  drinking  cups  and  individual  tow- 
els. A  tank  supplied  with  faucets  for  drinking  water  is  a  most 
excellent  thing  and  may  be  bought  or  made  at  a  small  expense. 
Great  care  must  be  given  such  a  tank  as  it  will  easily  breed  dis- 
ease if  allowed  to  grow  foul.  Where  it  can  be  arranged,  the 
drinking  font  supplying  running  water  is  the  very  best  thing. 

Mats  and  scrapers  should  be  placed  at  the  outside  door  for 
cleaning  mud  oflf  the  shoes,  but  the  mats  themselves  must  be  kept 
neat. 

If  you  have  a  stove  see  that  it  is  clean  and  in  good  condition. 
If  it  is  not  jacketed  and  is  so  placed  in  the  room  as  to  render  chil- 
dren who  sit  nearest  it  uncomfortably  warm,  there  should  be  some 
kind  of  screen  provided  to  place  between  it  and  the  pupils. 
These  screens  are  often  made  of  galvanized  iron. 

Sometimes  unhinged  doors  are  seen  in  schoolrooms.  Do  not 
let  this  condition  exist  in  your  room.  Nothing  gives  a  more  de- 
jected appearance  to  an  interior. 

Be  careful  of  your  curtains.  They  are  easily  torn  from  the 
poles  and  otherwise  damaged.  Keep  them  as  well  hung  and  as 
fresh  looking  as  possible. 

FLOORS. 

If  you  have  a  hardwood  floor  you  are  fortunate,  but  if  you 
have  an  old,  wide  board  soft  floor,  it  may  be  kept  clean  much 
more  easily  if  you  will  have  it  painted.  The  best  color  for  this  is 
dust  color  as  it  shows  tracks  less  than  other  colors.  Give  the 
floor  at  least  two  coats  of  paint.  Once  a  week  at  least  it  should 
be  mopped  and  wiped  dry.  There  is  a  little  device  for  wringing 
out  mops  that  will  help  you  to  keep  your  hands  out  of  the  dirty 
water,  if  you  are  obliged  to  do  your  own  janitor  work.  It  is  in- 
expensive and  can  be  bought  at  nearly  any  grocery  store. 

[15] 


WOODWORK. 

If  your  interest  in  cleaning-  and  putting  in  order  has  been  deep 
enough  you  will  surely  by  this  time  have  interested  others  and 
will  find  plenty  of  help.  But  your  next  step,  that  of  getting 
newly  painted  woodwork  or  newly  tinted  walls,  or  new  curtains, 
or  a  picture,  or  any  new  thing  which  you  may  feel  the  need  of 
most,  must  be  taken  advisedly.  School  boards  and  patrons  of 
schools  are  generous  if  they  feel  that  the  expenditure  of  money 
will  be  followed  by  actual  good  to  the  pupils,  but  they  are  some- 
times (and  rightly  too)  unwilHng  to  spend  money  for  something 
for  which  they  may  not  see  the  necessity.  The  task  may  require 
infinite  tact  and  understanding  and  patience. 

Take  stock  of  what  you  have.  What  is  your  woodwork  ?  How 
are  your  walls  and  your  ceilings  ?  Are  they  clean  or  dirty ;  rest- 
ful or  glaring?  If  the  woodwork  is  dirty  or  high-colored,  or 
the  walls  need  doing  over,  have  the  necessary  painting  and  tinting 
done  at  once.  In  most  country  schools  the  woodwork  has 
been  painted,  and  of  course  if  that  is  the  case,  the  only  way  to 
freshen  it  is  to  paint  it  again.  But  if  the  woodwork  has  been  left 
natural  color  and  varnished,  it  may  be  washed  with  water  and 
possibly  a  little  soap  where  it  has  become  very  much  soiled. 

When  repainting  woodwork  it  will  be  best  to  use  the  same  color 
as  that  intended  for  the  walls  but  a  rather  darker  shade,  or  one 
which  will  harmonize  with  the  walls,  or  perhaps  a  neutral  shade 
somewhere  near  the  color  of  natural  wood.  The  last  will  not 
show  dust  nor  soil  very  readily  and  on  that  account  is  good. 

It  is  seldom  well  to  use  dark  colors  in  a  schoolroom.  The 
blackboard  furnishes  quite  enough  dark  surface. 

If  you  are  fortunate  enough  to  have  woodwork  which  has  been 
neither  painted  nor  varnished,  you  will  find  stains  most  satisfac- 
tory. After  the  stain  has  been  put  on,  the  woodwork  may  be  var- 
nished and  rubbed  down  to  a  dull  finish  with  pulverized  pum- 
ice stone  and  oil  or  it  may  be  left  without  varnish.  Another 
good  finish  for  stained  hardwood  is  parafifine  oil.  This  is  com- 
paratively easy  to  put  on  and  its  effect  is  very  pleasing. 

[16] 


OF  THE      *     ^^x 

'-'N'VERSITY    ■ 


WALLS. 

Some  of  you  may  find  the  walls  whitewashed,  some  may  find 
them  painted,  and  others  will  find  only  plaster.  The  last  is 
of  course  the  easiest  to  change.  Whitewashed  walls  are  much 
better  than  dirty  ones  and  cleanliness  is  a  first  necessity,  so  if  it  is 
a  choice  between  whitewash  and  soiled  walls,  take  the  whitewash. 
But  do  your  best  to  have  your  walls  tinted  or  painted  or  stained, 
because  the  glaring  white  of  the  whitewash  is  hard  on  the  eyes. 

Paint  lasts  well.  It  may  even  be  washed  with  more  or  less 
success,  and  may  easily  be  kept  new  by  adding  a  fresh  coat  now 
and  then.  If  you  decide  to  paint  your  walls,  you  will  have  to  put 
on  at  least  two  and  probably  three  coats.  The  first  need  not  neces- 
sarily be  of  the  exact  shade  of  the  last  two,  but  it  should  not 
greatly  differ.  Do  not  use  for  your  walls  paint  which  is  hard 
and  glossy  after  it  has  dried.  The  effect  is  too  cold.  The 
surface  should  be  soft  and  velvety  looking.  This  effect  may 
be  heightened  by  stippling  the  last  coat.  This  is  done  with  a 
large,  flat  brush  with  long  bristles.  The  brush  is  set  down  on  the 
freshly  painted  wall  and  moved  slightly,  taken  up  and  set  down 
in  another  place  and  so  on  until  the  entire  wall  is  covered.  This 
stippling  breaks  up  the  surface  so  that  it  appears  much  softer. 

If  your  walls  have  been  calcimined  they  may  be  re-calcimined 
or  painted.  In  painting  or  calcimining  walls  it  is  well  first  to 
try  the  colors  on  a  small  part  of  the  surface  to  be  treated  and  to 
let  them  dry  before  going  over  the  whole  wall,  so  that  you  may 
be  sure  that  they  are  satisfactory. 

It  may  be  that  some  of  you  will  find  rough  plaster  finish.  This 
finish  is  beautiful  if  painted  or  stained  with  large  sweeps  of  the 
brush.  However,  many  object  to  rough  finish  plaster  for  school- 
rooms as  dust  clings  to  the  surface  so  easily. 

DESKS. 

It  is  doubtful  if  you  will  be  able  to  change  the  unpleasantly 
bright  colors  of  the  desks  and  seats.  These  desks  and  seats  may, 
however,  be  made  absolutely  clean  and  kept  whole  and  free  from 
pocket-knife  ornamentation.  If  desks  are  to  be  bought  you  can 
use  your  influence  in  securing  those  made  of  natural  woods,  var- 
nished or  stained  to  harmonize  with  walls  and  woodwork. 

[19] 


If  the  room  is  not  furnished  with  adjustable  desks  and  seats 
(those  which  may  be  made  lower  or  higher  or  have  the  slope 
of  the  desk  changed),  or  with  several  sizes  of  stationary  ones, 
you  should  urge  your  board  to  supply  them.  Many  pupils 
have  been  seriously  deformed  by  occupying  seats  which  are  too 
high  or  too  low  or  which  do  not  fit  them,  or  by  sitting  before  desks 
too  high  or  too  low,  too  near  the  seat  or  too  far  away  from  it,  or 
before  those  having  a  wrong  slope.  Adjustable  seats  and  desks 
are  the  best;  but  in  case  you  cannot  secure  these,  there  should 
be  at  least  three  sizes  of  desks  and  seats,  and  if  there  still  re- 
main pupils  who  are  not  comfortable,  special  measures  should 
be  taken  to  make  them  so.  The  smaller  children  may  be  given 
footstools  and  the  larger  pupils  may,  if  necessary,  be  seated  in 
chairs  before  tables.  A  pupil  to  be  comfortable  should  be  able  to 
sit  firmly  back  in  the  seat  with  his  feet  flat  on  the  floor  and  his 
limbs  bent  at  right  angles  at  the  knee.  There  must  be  sufficient 
room  between  back  of  seat  and  desk  but  there  must  not  be  so 
much  that  he  will  be  obliged  to  bend  forward  or  sit  on  the  edge 
of  the  seat.  The  height  of  the  desk  should  be  such  that  his  shoul- 
ders will  not  be  lifted  when  his  arms  are  on  the  desk,  nor  his  body 
bent  forward  to  lean  on  it.  It  is  better  to  have  desks,  the  slope 
of  which  can  be  adjusted  to  suit  the  needs  of  the  various  school 
occupations,  but  if  these  cannot  be  obtained  a  medium  slope  is 
best.  Use  judgment  in  seating  your  pupils.  They  should,  as 
far  as  possible,  be  seated  according  to  size  but  if  there  are  any 
children  who  are  defective  in  sight  or  hearing  they  must  be 
given  special  consideration. 

The  old  method  of  placing  all  the  largest  desks  and  seats  in 
the  rear,  the  medium  sizes  next  and  the  smallest  sizes  nearest 
the  front,  is  not  the  best.  It  is  better  to  form  one  or  two  entire 
rows  of  the  largest  size,  perhaps  on  the  two  sides  of  the  room, 
then  one  or  two  or  more  rows  of  the  medium  sized  seats  next 
the  large  ones  and  toward  the  center  of  the  room ;  and  last,  one 
or  two  or  more  rows  of  the  smallest  size  in  the  center.  This  or- 
der may  be  reversed  or  otherwise  changed.  But,  however  the 
rows  are  arranged,  this  method  affords  an  opportunity  to  place 
some  of  the  lari^^er  pupils  near  the  front  if  occasion  demands, 

[20] 


WINDOW  SHADES  AND  LIGHT. 

Many  of  you  will  find  fairly  well  adjusted  window  shades. 
There  is  a  curtain  fixture  which  allows  the  curtain  to  be  so  ad- 
justed as  to  screen  any  part  of  the  window,  top,  middle  or  bot- 
tom and  that  only.  These  fixtures  are  desirable.  If  you 
find  no  shades  at  all  on  windows  which  receive  the  sun,  you 
should  endeavor  to  get  some,  if  nothing  more  than  paper 
cambric  tacked  to  curtain  sticks  and  provided  with  cords  so 
they  may  be  rolled  up  and  fastened.  Windows  that  receive  no 
sun  need  no  shades.  For  those  which  receive  much  sun  a  blue 
gray,  semi-opaque  shade  is  doubtless  best  for  the  eyes,  as  the 
bright  light  shining  through  it  becomes  about  the  same  in  qual- 
ity as  a  north  light  and  is  therefore  a  desirable  light  for  students. 

Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  keeping  shades  pulled  down  or 
half  way  down  unless  there  is  necessity  for  so  doing.  Light 
from  the  upper  portions  of  the  windows  is  needed  for  the  dis- 
tant parts  of  the  room. 

Light  should  come  to  pupils  from  the  left  and  the  rear.  If 
you  have  windows  on  both  left  and  right,  it  will  be  better  to 
pull  the  shades  over  the  latter  most  of  the  time  on  bright  days. 
If  there  are  windows  in  the  front  they  should  be  screened,  as 
bright  light  shining  in  the  faces  of  the  pupils  is  exceedingly  in- 
jurious. 

In  buying  shades  for  our  own  homes  we  select  those  which 
harmonize  with  the  walls  and  furnishings,  but  in  buying  shades 
for  a  schoolroom  it  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  their  purpose  is 
to  regulate  the  light,  not  to  shut  it  out,  and  that  a  schoolroom  is 
not  a  parlor  but  a  workroom. 

White  muslin  sash  curtains  make  a  room  cozy,  but  they  must 
be  precisely  hung  and  kept  scrupulously  clean.  Otherwise  it  is 
better  not  to  attempt  them. 

VENTILATION. 

As  much  of  the  ventilation  of  rural  schoolrooms  is  still  accom- 
plished by  means  of  windows  and  doors,  all  sashes  should  move 
readilv  so  that  windows  mav  be  thrown  open  at  everv  recess  and  at 

'     [21] 


other  intermissions,  or  when  pupils  are  taking  gymnastic  exer- 
cises. 

Boards  cut  about  8  inches  wide  and  as  long  as  the  width  be- 
tween the  window  casings,  may  be  used  to  assist  in  properly 
supplying  fresh  air.  They  should  be  set  between  the  casings  at 
the  lower  part  of  the  windows  next  the  sills,  leaving  at  least  two 
inches  between  the  sashes  and  the  boards.  The  boards  should  be 
inclined  inward  at  an  angle  of  about  60°.  If  the  sashes  are  then 
raised  about  4  inches  the  air  will  pass  in  and  be  directed  upwards 
between  the  boards  and  sashes,  and  not  upon  the  children. 

A  much  better  method  of  ventilation  is  that  of  the  jacketed 
stove  with  piping  for  outside  air.  It  may  be  installed  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner: 

The  school  stove  should  be  entirely  enclosed  in  a  circular  jacket 
fastened  to  the  floor.  It  should  be  placed  six  inches  from  the 
stove  and  extend  at  least  one  foot  above  the  top  of  the  stove 
when  used  to  enclose  a  round  oak  heater,  or  to  the  height  of 
a  person  of  average  stature,  when  used  to  enclose  an  old-fash- 
ioned box  stove.  The  box  stove  should,  however,  not  be  used 
when  it  is  possible  to  secure  a  round  oak  heater.  Suitable 
openings  should  be  made  in  the  jacket  through  which 
the  fuel  may  be  placed  in  the  stove  and  the  ashes  taken 
out,  as  well  as  suitable  openings  for  draughts.  Care  should 
be  taken  to  reinforce  the  opening  made  for  fuel  by  strong 
iron  straps  in  order  that  the  jacket  may  not  be  bent  or 
injured.  Openings  one  inch  wide  and  five  inches  long  should  be 
cut  through  the  bottom  part  of  the  jacket  about  2  inches  from  the 
floor  and  about  2^  inches  apart.  A  "belt  damper"  just  large 
enough  to  surround  the  jacket  and  7  or  8  inches  in  width,  with 
openings  to  correspond  to  those  in  the  jacket  should  be  made 
and  fitted  neatly  to  the  jacket  just  over  the  openings  in  such  a 
way  that  it  will  move  easily  back  and  forth  over  the  openings. 
By  this  means  the  draft  in  the  room  may  be  regulated.  Instead 
of  this  "belt  damper"  hinged  doors  2  by  6  inches  in  size  may 
be  used  to  close  the  openings.  Fresh  air  should  be  admitted  by 
means  of  an  air  tight  wood  or  galvanized  iron  conduit  placed  un- 
derneath the  floor  and  extending  from  an  opening  in  the  outside 

[22] 


wall  to  one  underneath  the  stove.  This  fresh  air  intake  should, 
if  a  galvanized  iron  cylinder,  be  at  least  twelve  inches  in  diameter. 
If  a  wooden  box  is  used  it  should  be  at  least  12  by  12  inches  inside 
measurement.  A  damper  should  be  placed  in  this  flue  at  the 
point  where  it  enters  the  basement  in  such  a  manner  that  it  may 
be  easily  operated  from  the  inside  of  the  schoolhouse.  Means 
for  drawing  the  foul  air  from  the  floor  of  the  schoolroom  should 
be  provided  either  by  making  an  opening  into  the  chimney  at 
the  level  of  the  floor,  where  the  chimney  is  built  from  the  ground, 
or  by  an  open  stove  pipe  connected  with  the  chimney  and  ex- 
tending to  within  six  inches  of  the  floor.  The  foul  air  flue 
should  be  approximately  of  the  same  dimensions  as  the  fresh 
air  inlet  and  should  contain  dampers  for  the  regulation  of 
the  draught.  The  mode  of  operation  is  as  follows :  the  air 
surrounding  the  stove  on  the  inside  of  the  jacket  becomes 
heated,  circulates  through  the  upper  portion  of  the  room, 
and  as  it  cools,  gradually  falls  to  the  floor,  where  it  is  taken 
out  of  the  room  through  the  foul  air  opening  by  the 
draught  up  the  chimney.  On  cold  mornings  it  may  be  well  for 
the  janitor  to  close  the  fresh  air  flue  by  means  of  the  damper 
mentioned  above,  open  the  "belt  damper"  or  hinged  doors  at  the 
bottom  of  the  jacket,  and  take  the  supply  of  cold  air  from  the 
schoolroom  until  the  temperature  has  reached  a  reasonable  degree 
of  warmth.  The  total  cost  of  installing  this  system  need  not 
exceed  twenty-five  dollars. 

There  are  other  systems  operating  on  much  the  same  princi- 
ples which  have  been  patented  and  can  be  purchased  ready  for  use. 


BL.^CKBOARDS. 

Blackboards  should  be  placed  low  enough  for  the  youngest  pu- 
pil to  use  and  should  not  extend  too  high  for  the  teacher. 
Slate  blackboards  are  the  best,  but  there  are  a  number 
of  preparations  for  blackboard  finish  which  may  be  bought  and 
applied  to  old  boards  with  fairly  good  results.  The  surface  of 
the  board  should  not  be  shiny.  The  finish  should  always  be  dull 
as  is  slate.  Reading  from  a  shining  surface  is  injurious  to 
the  eyes.     If  the  old  boards  are  to  be  refinished  I  would  sug- 

[23] 


gest  that  they  be  made  to  harmonize  with  the  color  scheme  of 
the  room.  To  do  this,  use  coloring-  matter  in  the  liquid  prepara- 
tion. Dark  green  boards  look  well  in  a  room  having  a  green 
color  scheme  and  are  restful  to  the  eyes. 

Boards  and  erasers  and  chalk  troughs  should  be  cleaned 
daily.  When  the  blackboards  are  disagreeably  large  or  seem 
to  spoil  the  color  scheme  of  the  room,  curtains  of  inexpensive 
material  and  of  a  color  in  harmony  with  the  walls,  may  be  ad- 
justed so  that  the}'  may  be  drawn  over  the  boards  when  the  latter 
are  not  in  use.  These  curtains  are  also  useful  in  hiding  work 
placed  on  the  board  by  the  teacher  for  future  use.  Curtains, 
however,  are  dust  catchers. 

Do  not  allow  careless  blackboard  work  at  any  time.  Every- 
thing written  on  the  blackboard  should  be  well  and  carefully 
done.  Stenciled  borders  or  figures  colored  or  uncolored  are 
sometimes  attractive,  but  should  never  be  allowed  to  remain 
long  on  the  boards. 

CLOAKROOMS. 

Cloakrooms  should  be  treated  as  to  floors,  walls,  ceiling  and 
woodwork  just  as  the  room  proper  has  been  treated.  If  it  is  pos- 
sible, a  separate  compartment  should  be  supplied  for  each  child,  in 
which  to  hang  his  wraps.  This  convenience  would  prevent  mucli 
conta;^ion  and  many  misunderstandings.  Cloakrooms  especially 
should  be  well  aired.     They  should  be  kept  cool. 

BULLETIN   BOARDS. 

A  bulletin  board  in  a  schoolroom  is  a  great  convenience,  almost 
a  necessity.  It  may  be  made  to  fit  into  some  open  space  on  the 
wall  or  it  may  be  swung  on  a  standard,  b^clt  is  probably  the  best 
material  for  covering  a  solid  board,  as  it  is  thick  and  easy  to  pin 
to  or  tack  through,  but  a  frame  of  two  inch  boards  covered  with 
burlap  to  match  the  walls  does  very  well.  A  satisfactory  board 
can  be  made  by  covering  a  cheap  clothes  rack  with  denim,  and 
painting  such  parts  of  the  woodwork  as  are  left  visible,  to  corre- 
spond with  the  colors  used  in  the  room.     Interesting  clippings 

[  -24  1 


from  newspapers,  good  bits  of  work  from  the  hands  of  the  pupils, 
good  pictures  obtained  from  various  sources  and  used  to  illustrate 
IcsSlOus,  may  be  fastened  to  this  bulletin  board,  left  there  as  long 
as  is  necessary,  then  taken  down  and  filed  away,  if  they  are  worth 
filing,  or  destroyed  if  they  are  not.  Sometimes  the  pupils  may 
wish  to  take  their  bits  of  work  home  after  they  have  been  honored 
by  display  on  the  board  and  sometimes  also  they  may  bring  in- 
teresting things  from  home  which  may  be  pinned  there  for  a  day 
or  two  and  returned. 

The  bulletin  board  should  never  be  allowed  to  grow  stale. 
Things  should  not  stay  there  for  long  periods  of  time ;  they  must 
be  kept  moving.  In  fact,  specimens  of  pupils'  work,  clippings, 
pictures  of  no  great  merit,  but  only  pleasing  for  a  time  or  useful 
in  teaching  some  lesson,  should  never  find  a  permanent  place  on 
the  walls  nor  on  the  bulletin  board  of  any  schoolroom.  Only  the 
good  in  art  should  be  long  before  the  eyes  of  the  pupil.  Pictures 
used  on  the  bulletin  board  and  taken  down  may  be  mounted  on 
cardboard,  labeled  and  put  away  for  future  reference.  Clippings 
may  be  treated  in  the  same  way,  several  of  them  relating  to  the 
same  subject  being  grouped  and  mounted  together. 


[27] 


COLOR  SCHEMES. 

The  most  difficult  problem  to  be  solved  in  connection  with 
schoolroom  decoration  is  that  of  making  the  proper  selection 
of  colors  for  the  walls,  ceiling  and  woodwork.  On  the 
harmony  of  these  colors  depends  the  success  of  any  endeavor  to 
make  a  room  attractive  and  restful.  On  it  also  depends  the 
effectiveness  of  all  pictures,  casts,  pottery  and  other  objects  used 
for  decorative  purposes. 

Not  merely  for  beauty  alone,  however,  should  the  walls  be  col- 
ored, but  for  the  undeniable  effect  of  colors  upon  the 
child.  It  is  a  fact  now  generally  accepted  by  neurologists  and 
physicians  who  have  given  the  subject  thought  and  study,  that 
colors  have  a  considerable  influence  upon  the  mental  and  physical 
condition  of  children.  In  recent  years  many  cases  of  severe 
nervous  headache  and  nervous  irritation  in  children  have  been 
traced  to  the  bare  white  or  poorly  colored  walls  of  schoolrooms. 

The  location  of  the  schoolhouse  and  the  position  of  its  windows 
have  much  to  do  with  the  selection  of  colors.  A  room  with  little 
sunlight  needs  lighter  and  warmer  shades  than  one  which  re- 
ceives the  direct  sun  during  a  large  portion  of  the  day. 

In  deciding  what  colors  to  use  you  must  keep  in  mind  at  one 
time  the  walls,  ceiling,  woodwork  and  furniture.  If  the  color  of 
the  woodwork  is  satisfactory,  or  being  unsatisfactory,  cannot  be 
changed,  use  it  as  a  basis  and  adopt  a  shade  for  the  walls  which 
will  harmonize  with  it.  Walls  and  woodwork  in  certain  shades 
of  brown,  ceiling  in  old  ivory,  and  desks  in  natural  wood,  will 
all  harmonize.  Dark  gray  green  woodwork,  lighter  gray  green 
walls,  still  lighter  green  ceiling  and  natural  wood  desks  are  a 
very  pleasing  combination. 

Use  plain  colors  in  soft  dull  shades.  Do  not  attempt  bor- 
ders or  clouded  effects  unless  you  have  a  skilled  and  experienced 
designer  to  do  the  work. 

It  is  always  safe  to  select  for  a  color  scheme,  shades  of  the  same 
color,  arranging  them  so  that  the  lightest  shade  will  appear  on  the 
ceiling  and  the  walls  down  to  the  picture  molding,  the  medium 
shade  on  the  walls,  and  the  darkest  on  the  woodwork,  if  the  latter 
happens  to  be  stained  or  painted.     By  this,  however,  I  do  not 

[28] 


mean  to  suggest  that  there  are  no  harmonies  except  in  scaled 
colors. 

C.  J.  Jorgenson  of  Milwaukee,  a  colorist  of  note,  contributed 
an  article  to  the  American  School  Board  Journal,  December, 
1905,  from  which  both  he  and  the  editors  of  the  Journal  have 
kindly  given  permission  to  quote.  The  article  will  be  very  help- 
ful to  any  teacher  or  school  board  about  to  decide  on  colors  for 
a  schoolroom.     It  is,  in  part,  printed  here : 

"The  necessity  of  congenial  and  cheerful  surroundings  in  our 
public  schools  is  being  recognized  and  considered  more  from 
year  to  year  as  one  of  the  several  elements  in  the  direction  of 
cleanliness  and  sanitation. 

The  coloring  in  the  schoolroom  must  appeal  to  the  aesthetic 
feeling  of  the  pupils,  and  not  offend  their  color  sense  by  unhar- 
monious  color  combinations.  The  color  must  imbue  the  mind 
with  a  pleasing  restfulness,  and  thereby  heighten  the  faculty  of 
conception  of  the  pupil,  as  well  as  strengthen  the  energy  and  pa- 
tience of  the  teacher. 

In  defining  the  proper  colors  for  a  room,  the  natural  light  must 
be  considered  first.  It  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  the  diffused 
light  entering  through  windows  not  exposed  to  the  sun,  is  the 
most  agreeable  to  read  and  work  by.  Therefore,  the  north  ex- 
posure is  preferable  for  such  purposes.  As  most  of  our  public 
schools  receive  light  from  all  four  directions,  it  is  essential  to  ad- 
just the  light  in  a  proper  manner.  The  sunlight  breaking  into 
a  room  with  unrestricted  power,  must  be  softened  and  diffused  by 
window  shades  and  curtains. 

Sunlight  passing  through  a  perfectly  white  semi-opaque  shade, 
will  create  a  decidedly  creamy  color  leaning  towards  the  yellow 
orange.  The  same  effect  is  observable  where  sunlight  is  thrown 
through  a  milky  liquid.  In  order  to  overcome  this  yellowish 
light,  and  to  produce  more  of  the  effect  of  the  north  light,  the 
window  shades  should  be  colored  in  a  light  bluish  gray,  and 
thereby  make  the  light  in  such  a  room  as  agreeable  and  neutral  as 
may  be  found  in  a  room  not  exposed  to  the  sunlight. 

Colors  are  often  classed  as  warm  or  cold.  Warm  colors  are 
also  called  advancing,  and  cold  colors  retiring.  Warm  colors 
are  those  in  which  red  and  yellow  predominate ;  these  colors  have 

[29] 


no  influence  on  the  temperature  of  the  room  but  they  will  make 
impressions  of  this  nature  upon  the  mind.  This  should  be  borne 
in  mind  when  the  interior  wall  coloring  of  a  school  house  is  un- 
dertaken. 

On  the  north  exposure,  the  colors  can  be  warm  and  lean  toward 
yellow  and  red ;  on  the  east,  the  colors  should  be  less  warm,  i.  e., 
blended  with  a  little  blue;  the  west  and  south  sides  can  have  a 
preponderance  of  blue,  if  the  color  of  the  hardwood,  or  other 
local  conditions,  do  not  demand  a  different  treatment. 

All  primary  and  secondary  colors  should  be  blended  to  har- 
monize with  woodwork  and  surroundings.  All  space  not  actu- 
ally needed  for  blackboards,  should  be  treated  in  the  wall  color. 
Blackboards  should  not  be  carried  all  around  the  room,  but  con- 
fined to  the  necessary  minimum,  in  order  to  allow  the  wall  color 
to  predominate. 

In  older  school  buildings,  where  there  is  an  insufficiency  of 
light  it  is  well  to  keep  the  colors  of  ceiling,  walls  and  woodwork 
as  light  as  possible  to  produce  reflection.  In  the  newer  and  well- 
lighted  building,  the  color  scheme  should  not  be  too  light,  especi- 
ally in  rooms  finished  in  natural  hardwood.  The  walls  can  be 
colored  dark  in  such  rooms.  The  colors  should  never  form  a 
direct  contrast  to  the  woodwork,  but  always  blend  with  it. 

The  ceiling  should  be  kept  light,  but  never  white  or  chalky.  It 
is  never  touched  by  the  rays  of  the  sun,  except  by  reflection  from 
a  mirror,  or  other  polished  surface ;  consequently,  in  the  ma- 
jority of  cases  it  will  receive  diffused  cold  light  only,  and  should 
always  be  treated  in  warm  tints. 

The  spectral  colors,  yellow,  orange,  red,  violet,  blue  and  green, 
should  never  be  used  for  ceiling  and  walls  without  combining  or 
ornamenting  them  with  softer  colors.  Such  softer  colors  are  also 
called  broken  colors,  and  are  produced  by  mixing  spectral  colors 
in  pairs,  thus  blending  one  color  into  the  other.  These  many  soft 
colorings,  resulting  from  such  mixtures,  will  please  the  educated 
eye  and  train  the  uneducated  to  distinguish  and  appreciate  broken 
color  tints.  Equally  objectionable  are  the  bright  color  stains 
commonly  used  on  school  desks  and  other  school  furniture. 
Softer  and  darker  stains  would  be  in  better  taste  and  give  more 
repose. 

[80] 


OF  THE      *    \ 

UNIVERSITY   ] 


This  excerpt  from  Mr.  Jorgenson's  article  requires  no  expla- 
nation, yet  the  rules  laid  down  are  so  important  and  are  so  diffi- 
cult to  apply  that  a  repetition  of  what  has  already  been  said  may 
be  helpful. 

Never  use  bright  colors  on  woodwork,  walls  or  ceiling.  Never 
use  any  unbroken  color  of  the  spectrum.  The  spectral  colors 
must  first  be  dulled  by  so  mixing  them  with  each  other  as  to 
produce  soft  tones. 

For  instance  spectral  green  when  placed  upon  the  walls  is 
harsh  and  irritating,  but  when  mixed  with  other  colors  so  as 
to  produce  the  stone  greens  or  sedge  greens  or  the  rich  olive 
greens  or  any  one  of  the  long  list  of  neutral  greens,  its  effect  is 
restful  and  artistic. 

Again,  spectral  red,  the  most  irritating  of  all  colors  to  the  eye 
should  never  be  used  even  in  combination  with  other  colors  in 
such  proportion  as  to  stamp  the  combination  with  its  quality. 
As  Mr.  Jorgenson  puts  it,  "on  the  north  exposure,  the  colors  can 
be  warm  and  lean  to  the  red."  Cardinal,  pink,  cerise  and  the  like 
are  not  meant,  but  rather  the  soft  reddish  buffs  and  terra 
cottas. 

But  even  colors  which  merely  lean  toward  the  red  should  be 
used  advisedly.  It  is  a  well  established  scientific  fact  that  the 
nearer  a  color  is  to  the  red  end  of  the  spectrum  the  more  irrita- 
ting it  is  to  the  eye,  and  the  nearer  it  is  to  the  blue  end  of  the 
spectrum  the  easier  it  is  for  the  eye,  with  the  exception  of  the 
extreme  violet  rays  which  are  also  irritating.  From  the  ex- 
amination of  many  school  children  it  has  been  ascertained  that 
while  red  is  irritating  it  is  also  exciting,  and  that  while  blue  is 
quieting  it  is  also  depressing.  From  all  this  it  would  appear 
that  the  three  middle  colors  of  the  spectrum  used  as  bases  are 
the  most  suitable  for  the  schoolroom.  The  best  of  these  is  green 
in  such  combination  as  to  produce  soft  tones.  It  should  prob- 
ably be  used  as  the  basic  color  for  wall  tinting  in  three-fourths  of 
the  schools  of  the  state,  the  shades  adopted  depending  largely, 
of  course,  upon  the  amount  of  light  admitted  to  the  room. 
In  schoolrooms,  however,  enjoying  a  plenitude  of  sunshine, 
colors  leaning  toward  the  blue  may  be  employed,  and  in  rooms 
having  little  sunshine,  colors   leaning  toward  yellow  and  even 

red. 

r33] 


MR.    JORGENSON  S   OFFER. 

Teachers  and  school  boards  about  to  select  color  schemes  for 
schoolroooms  will  be  given  advice  free  of  charge  upon  applica- 
tion to  Mr.  Jorgenson.  Sample  colors  will  be  furnished  if  a 
full  description  of  each  room  giving  all  the  information  called 
for  in  the  outlines  appearing  on  the  following  pages  accompanies 
the  application.  All  communications  should  be  addressed  to  C. 
J.  Jorgenson,  521  Jackson  St.,  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 

Two  color  schemes  recommended  by  Mr.  Jorgenson  for  two 
schools  in  Waukesha  county  with  the  descriptions  upon  which 
such  recommendations  were  based  are  printed  herewith. 

Description  of  schoolroom  sent  to  Mr.  Jorgenson  from  Dis- 
trict No.  6,  Town  of  Summit,  Waukesha  Co. 

School  Room 

Length,  24  ft. 
Width,  24  ft. 
Height,  14  ft. 

Windows 

Length,  5  ft. 

Width,  3  ft. 

Number,  4. 

Which  sides  of  building.  East,  West. 

Doors 

Where  placed,  South  end. 
Number,  2. 

Blackboards 

On  which  sides  of  room,  North. 
Width,  4  ft. 
Color,  Gray. 
Material,  Slate. 

[34] 


Seats 

Color,  Birch. 

Face  what  direction,  North. 

Woodwork 

Kind  of  wood,  Pine. 
Finish,  Painted. 
Color,  Brown. 

Walls 

Finish,  Wainscot,  j  1-2  ft.,  painted. 
Color,  Light  brown. 

Stove   (if  any) 

Where  located,  South  end. 
Any  other  information,  Bookcase,  dark  oak;  organ,  zvalnut. 
Amount  of  money  available  for  doing  over,  $^5. 

Description  of  schoolroom  sent  to  Mr.  Jorgenson  from  Dis- 
trict No.  4,  Town  of  Brookfield,  Waukesha  Co. 

School  Room 

Length,  29  ft. 
Width,  25  ft. 
Height,  13  ft. 

Windows 

Length,  6  1-2  ft. 

Width,  2  5-6  ft. 

Number,  8. 

Which  sides  of  building,  Ea^t,  West,  South. 

Doors 

Where  placed.  South  side. 
Number,  5. 

[35] 


Blackboards 

On  which  sides  of  room,  North,  East  and  West. 
Width,  2y2  ft. 
Color,  Black. 
Material,  Slate,  wall. 

Seats 

Color,  Cherry. 

Face  what  direction,  North. 


Woodwork 

Kind  of  wood. 
Finish,  Paint. 
Color,  Drab. 


Walls 

Finish,  Kalsomine. 

Color,  White. 
Stove  (if  any) 
Amount  of  money  available  for  doing  over,  ^55. 

Mr.  Jorgenson's  offer  to  the  schools  of  the  state  is  most  gen- 
erous and  it  is  hoped  that  school  boards  and  teachers  will  take 
advantage  of  it. 


[36] 


Colors  advised  for  District  No.  6,  Town  of  Summit, 
Waukesha  County. 


CEILING. 


WALL. 


WOODWORK. 


Colors  advised  for  District  No.  4,  Town  of  Brookfield, 
Waukesha  County. 


CEILING. 


WALL. 


WOODWORK. 


O^ 


PICTURES. 

The  purpose  of  pictures  in  the  schoolroom  is  twofold ;  first,  to 
decorate  the  bare  and  silent  walls,  and,  second,  to  direct  the 
child's  taste  and  sympathy  toward  the  beautiful.  A  third  but 
much  less  significant  purpose  is  to  familiarize  the  pupil  with  rec- 
ognized works  of  art  and  methods  of  expression  in  art. 

Every  schoolroom  should  have  at  least  one  picture  of  artistic 
merit.  If  means  permit,  it  is  well  to  have  more,  but  it  is  a  great 
mistake  to  have  too  many. 

For  the  guidance  of  those  who  will  select  pictures  for  the  com- 
mon schools  of  this  state,  the  following  suggestions  may  not  be 
amiss : 

Select  pictures  having  a  human  interest.  Pictures  of  animals 
and  of  children  always  appeal  to  the  little  folks.  But  whatever 
the  subject  let  it  be  one  which  the  child  will  be  able  to  compre- 
hend through  experience  or  knowledge  common  to  children  of 
his  age. 

It  is  a  matter  of  prime  importance  to  consider  the  ages  and 
environments  of  the  pupils  before  selecting  any  picture  for  the 
schoolroom.  The  real  problem  always  is  to  get  some  work  of  art 
which  the  child  will  appreciate  and  enjoy  and  which  will  at  the 
same  time  prove  a  suitable  decoration  for  the  wall.  In  the  solu- 
tion of  that  problem,  what  old  masters  or  other  paintings  appeal 
to  you  or  me  is  of  no  consequence.  Our  taste  and  our  ability  to 
understand  and  appreciate  have  developed  since  we  left  the  mid- 
dle and  grammar  grades.  To  determine  rightly  what  the  pupils 
of  today  should  have  in  the  way  of  artistic  surroundings,  we  must 
in  part  forget  our  present  point  of  view  and  remember  the  limita- 
tions of  the  days  of  our  childhood.  The  following  is  an  excerpt 
from  an  article  on  The  interior  decoration  of  schools  by  W.  J. 
Kenyon,  State  Normal  School,  San  Francisco,  Cal,  printed  in 
The  School  Review,  November,  1906.  "Let  us  avoid  reading  our 
own  preferences  too  unreservedly  into  the  children,  and  becoming 
their  self-appointed  proxies.  The  children  have  not  that  sense 
of  historical  values  which  is  always  in  danger  of  giving  their 
seniors  a  bias.  We  have  not  quite  learned  to  distinguish  between 
that  which  is  imposing,  from  the  art  curator's  standpoint,  and 

[37] 


that  which  is  inherently  beautiful,  regardless  of  its  niche  in  the 
lore  of  art.  It  is  one  thing  to  stock  a  museum  of  art  with  the 
conspicuous  milestones  of  art  history.  It  is  quite  another  to  deco- 
rate a  children's  room  with  things  intrinsically  beautiful — and 
beautiful  from  the  child's  view-point." 

Select  colored  pictures  if  it  is  possible  for  you  to  obtain  those 
which  are  true  works  of  art.  They  are  more  decorative  as  a 
rule  and  are  more  appreciated  by  the  child. 

Be  very  careful,  however,  in  your  selection.  If  you  have  not 
a  keen  appreciation  of  color,  it  will  be  better  to  confine  yourself 
entirely  to  the  list  of  colored  pictures  given  later  on  or  to  solicit 
the  assistance  of  an  artist. 

Select  pictures  of  simple  outlines  and  of  little  detail.  Com- 
plexity in  design  and  in  execution  should  be  avoided.  Much  de- 
tail interrupts  the  attention  of  the  child  and  often  causes  him  to 
lose  entirely  the  conception  of  the  whole.  All  teachers  who  have 
taught  drawing  know  that  a  child  in  attempting  to  make  a  pic- 
ture of  an  apple  having  some  slight  imperfection  on  it,  often 
makes  the  imperfection  the  most  prominent  feature  of  the  pic- 
ture. The  detail  has  caught  the  attention.  And  so  it  is  when  a 
child  stands  before  a  work  of  art  of  much  complexity  of  design. 
His  attention  is  caught  by  one  detail  and  then  another  until  his 
interest  flags  and  he  turns  away  without  having  formed  any  con- 
ception of  the  picture. 

Select  bright,  sunshiny  or  at  least  moderately  cheerful  subjects. 
Children  are  greatly  influenced  by  subjects  of  pictures  and  sad- 
ness comes  soon  enough.  It  need  not  be  lugged  in.  Avoid  also 
subjects  which  give  no  food  for  thought  and  which  will  soon  be- 
come tiresome. 

In  buying,  look  not  only  at  the  individual  picture,  but  at  the 
composition  of  the  entire  wall.  Consider  how  the  picture  will 
look  on  the  wall  for  which  you  are  selecting  it,  and  whether  or 
not  it  will  be  in  harmony  with  the  pictures  already  hung.  The 
color  of  the  walls  and  ceiling,  the  pictures  considered  as  decora- 
tive spots  (not  as  pictorial  subjects),  all  help  to  give  a  certain 
color  and  tone  to  the  room,  and  to  determine  the  prevailing  at- 
mosphere, which  should  in  all  cases  be  artistic  and  soothing. 

Take  into  consideration  the  amount  of  wall  space  available  and 

[38] 


the  size  of  the  room,  so  that  you  will  buy  pictures  neither  too  large 
nor  too  small.  A  very  small  picture  in  a  very  large  room  is  lost. 
A  very  large  picture  in  a  very  small  room  looks  out  of  place.  Be 
sure  that  your  picture  will  "carry,"  that  is,  that  it  will  not  lose  its 
effectiveness  when  viewed  at  a  distance. 

REPRODUCTIONS  OF  THE  MASTERS. 

"Progress  in  art"  says  John  Cotton  Dana  of  the  Newark 
Public  Library,  "is  not  progress  in  knowledge  of  Madonnas  and 
Corots, — save  in  one  narrow  sense.  Progress  in  art  is  growth 
in  sensibility,  growth  in  power  of  appreciation,  growth  in  capacity 
to  get  pleasant  thoughts  and  feelings  from  the  sight  of  things 
which  surround  us  every  day, — the  wayside  flower,  the  waving 
grass,  the  tree  naked  to  winter  winds,  the  towering  chimney,  the 
familiar  utensils  of  our  homes,  the  pictures  of  the  popular  jour- 
nals, and  a  thousand  other  things.  The  best  course  in  art  would 
begin  with  a  waving  spire  of  grass  or  a  branch  of  the  nearest 
tree,  not  with  Raphael's  Sistine  Madonna  or  Michael  Angelo's 
David." 

The  opinion  largely  prevails  among  educators  and  those  in- 
terested in  schoolroom  decoration  in  this  country,  that  photo- 
graphic reproductions  of  the  works  of  the  old  and  modern  mas- 
ters are  the  only  pictures  appropriate  for  schoolroom  decoration 
and  the  study  of  art  by  school  children.  I  have  not  been  able  to 
bring  my  thoughts  into  harmony  with  this  opinion.  The  educa- 
tional theory  upon  which  it  is  based  has,  moreover,  for  some  years 
past  been  exploded  in  Germany  and  other  European  countries. 
I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  children  should  not  be  taught  anything 
of  the  history  of  art  during  their  school  days  or  that  they  should 
have  no  familiarity  with  the  pictures  of  the  great  masters  in 
art  but  I  do  mean  that  reproductions  of  these  pictures  are  bet- 
ter calculated  for  study  as  the  pupil  advances  in  years  and 
knowledge  than  they  are  for  the  purpose  of  decorating  the  walls 
of  rooms  in  which  young  children  sit.  Granting  that  the  con- 
stant display  of  good  or  poor  reproductions  of  pictures  of  this 
class  may  have  some  indefinite  beneficent  influence  upon  the 
child's  character  and  upon  his  abilitv  to  appreciate  what  is  ideally 

[41]' 


or  actually  beautiful,  nevertheless  the  proposition  that  a  child 
in  the  common  schools  can  be  taught  to  recognize  artistic  ex- 
pression or  the  beautiful  in  art  through  reproductions  of  Rem- 
brandt's or  DaVinci's  or  Alichaelangelo's  pictures,  appeals  to  me 
as  impossible  as  it  would  be  to  teach  Middle  Form  pupils  mathe- 
matics by  illustrating  problems  in  conic  sections  or  calculus,  or 
literature  by  reading  to  them  Faust  or  the  Inferno. 

But  leaving  out  of  consideration  the  value  of  such  pictures  as 
a  means  of  education  in  artistic  expression,  in  what  of  the  great 
art  of  the  painting  is  the  child  able  to  find  delight?  What 
would  there  be  in  a  rendition  of  Parsifal  by  the  Chicago  Or- 
chestra that  the  average  child  could  understand,  that  he  could 
enjoy,  that  would  tend  to  inculcate  in  him  a  love  of  music?  What 
is  there  for  him  in  all  the  angels  and  Madonnas  painted  in  the 
indolent,  elegant  but  withal  ascetic  days  of  the  Italian  Renais- 
sance ? 

Let  us  take  yourself  and  myself  for  examples.  We  may  have 
had  the  advantage  of  University  or  Normal  School  training. 
We  may  have  had  courses  in  aesthetics.  We  may  have  visited 
the  great  art  galleries  of  the  world.  We  may  have  stood  be- 
fore the  works  of  Rubens,  Murillo,  Van  Dyke,  Velasquez  and 
Titian  and  many  others.  We  gathered  up  the  story  of  the  past 
and  our  hearts  and  souls  were  filled  with  admiration  for  these 
mighty  men.  And  then  we  turned  away  from  The  Assumption, 
The  Holy  Family,  Don  Balthazar  and  the  rest,  and  it  was  not 
the  technique,  the  conception,  the  detail,  the  color,  all  that  dis- 
tinguishes great  masterpieces,  which  had  most  impressed  us,  but 
what  each  painting  was  about. 

Perhaps  you  remember  standing  in  the  art  gallery  at  the  Col- 
umbian Exposition  in  Chicago  and  watching  the  crowds  surg- 
ing in  front  of  the  picture  by  Hovendon  entitled  Breaking  home 
ties,  while  other  and  greater  works  of  art  went  unnoticed.  Why  ? 
Not  because  it  is  a  great  work  of  art.  It  is  not.  But  because 
the  canvas  portrays  a  scene  which  touches  the  heart. 

How  many  times  in  our  visits  to  art  galleries  or  art  exhibi- 
tions do  we  pass  by  what  is  truly  excellent  as  a  work  of  artistic 
expression  and  then  stop  to  admire  some  potboiler,  dear  at  al- 
most any  price,  the  subject  of  which  commands  our  interest. 

[42] 


If  is  is  true  of  us  that  we  are  often  unable  to  appreciate  the 
artistic  merit  of  many  of  the  old  masters,  and  are  frequently 
less  attracted  by  them  than  by  the  work  of  mediocrity,  is  it  not 
also  true  that  the  child  with  its  limited  comprehension,  its  lack 
of  training  and  education,  will  probably  often  fail  to  find  in  these 
famous  paintings  any  beauty  of  expression?  To  him  even  the 
historical  and  human  setting  is  lost.  The  religious  impulses 
pervading  the  periods  of  our  civilization  during  which  most  of 
the  old  masterpieces  were  painted,  are  not  discussed  in  such 
histories  as  the  child  in  our  common  schools  would  read,  or, 
reading,  would  understand. 

Let  us  go  further,  bearing  in  mind  at  the  same  time  that  our 
ideals  of  beauty  frequently  lie  beyond  our  power  of  express- 
ing them.  Give  the  average  child  in  the  Primary  Form  a  pencil 
and  ask  him  to  draw  a  man.  He  will  probably  begin  by  making 
something  that  looks  like  a  circle  for  the  head  and  two  smaller 
circles  for  the  eyes,  with  lines  for  the  mouth  and  nose.  Should 
he  do  better  than  this,  his  drawing  at  the  best  will  be  linear, 
without  shading  and  without  expresssion.  Still,  he  will  in  all 
probability  be  very  proud  of  his  work.  It  is  his  graphic  method 
of  expressing  his  idea  of  a  man.  Give  him  a  brush  and  colors 
and  ask  him  to  draw  a  cow.  He  will  paint  a  large  mass  for  the 
body  and  continuations  of  this  mass  for  head  and  feet.  If  the  pict- 
ure at  all  resembles  our  domesticated  animal  and  not  some  mon- 
ster of  another  age,  he  is  to  be  complimented,  but  his  effort  illus- 
trates the  method  of  childhood,  and  his  conception  and  appreciation 
of  art  and  artistic  expression  does  not  go  far  beyond  this.  The 
multiplicity  of  detail,  of  expression,  and  of  light  and  shade ;  the 
infinite  variety  and  blending  of  colors;  the  complexity  of  motif 
found  in  the  great  masterpieces  and  great  works  of  art  will  only 
tend  to  confuse  him  and  lessen  the  interest  in  art  which  he  already 
has. 

We  should  seek  to  develop  the  artistic  instincts  of  the  child 
along  rational  lines  just  as  we  seek  to  develop  his  faculties  in 
other  directions.  Give  young  children  simple  pifcturesj  those 
with  little  detail  and  dealing  with  some  phase  of  life  or  thought 
which  they  can  understand.  From  these  they  maybe  led  on  to 
an  ability  to  distinguish  between  good  and  poor  art  in  more  diffi- 

[43] 


cult  subjects,  and  to  an  appreciation  of  the  good.  JJut  they 
should  not  be  expected  to  have  this  ability  at  the  start. 

To  summarize  my  objections  to  the  use  of  photographic  repro- 
ductions of  the  great  masters  for  schoolroom  decoration  in  the 
grades : 

Much  of  the  artistic  excellence  of  many  of  the  pictures  of  the 
masters  lies  in  the  manner  of  their  execution  and  in  their 
coloring.     This  is  largely  lost  in  a  photographic  reproduction. 

They  are  usually  executed  in  too  much  detail,  and  therefore  dis- 
tract the  attention  of  the  child  from  the  conception  of  the  artist. 

They  lack  color  and  color  is  an  essential  in  commanding  the 
child's  interest. 

Many  of  the  subjects  are  too  difficult  and  complex;  most  are 
historical  and  forei2:n. 


PICTURES  FOR  SCHOOLROOM  DECORATION. 

Having  in  mind  all  that  goes  before,  I  recommend  the  follow- 
ing prints  for  use  in  the  common  schools.  .  Many  of  them  are  suit- 
able for  the  High  Schools.  Each  one  is  an  original  production 
by  a  modern  artist,  and  in  many  instances  they  are  printed  from 
original  lithographs  engraved  by  the  artists  who  painted  the 
pictures.  They  are  posters  in  style  and  are  very  simple  yet  very 
strong.  Each  is  a  work  of  art  in  itself.  Many  of  them  are  de- 
signed especially  for  school  use.  They  are  all  in  colors  and  be- 
cause of  this  also  are  more  interesting  to  children. 

Starred  pictures  have  been  seen  by  the  writer.  As  to  the  oth- 
ers, although  I  have  not  seen  the  full  size  lithographs,  I  have 
reason  to  believe  that  they  are  correct  in  color  and  composition. 
L — indicates  pictures  desirable  for  the  Lower  Form ;  M — Middle 
Form;  U — Upper  Form;  H — High  School.  R — indicates  pic- 
tures desirable  for  rural  schools  where  there  are  many  grades. 
Prices  given  (not  publisher's  prices)  were  obtained  in  each 
instance  from  the  Chicago  Art  Education  Company,  215  Wabash 
Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 


[44] 


FITZROY    PICTURES. 

Published  by  George  Bell  and  Sons,  London.  The  "Guild  of 
the  Iron  Cross,"  Boston,  Mass. 

"With  reference  to  our  actual  productions,  they  are  color 
prints,  not  reproductions  of  paintings.  Vitality  of  suggestion 
rather  than  imitative  realization  is  their  mark.  Selection  of  es- 
sentials— essential  form,  character,  action,  color,  and  their  re- 
combination in  the  form  we  have  adopted,  that  is,  arrangement 
of  color  space  bounded  by  expressive  line,  is  our  method,  and  its 
result  is  asserted  as  much  by  omission  as  by  commission."  Art- 
ist's forezvord. 

These  prints  are  particularly  well  adapted  for  use  in  the 
Lower  Form.     They  may  also  be  used  in  the  Middle  Form. 

*  1.     St.    George    and    the    dragon.     By    Hey  wood     Sumner. 

49x39  in.     Colored  by  hand.     Price  $3.50  (Publisher's 
price,  $1.40).     L. 

*  2.     Love  rules.     By  Louis  Davis.     37x19  in.     Reproduced  in 

colors   by  James   Akerman.     Price  $2.25.  (Publisher's 
price,  65  cts.)     L. 
3.     In   the   morning.     By   Louis   Davis.     37x19   in.     Colored 
by  hand.     Price  $2.50.     (Publisher's  price,  90  cts.)     L. 

*  4.     The  months.     By  Heywood   Sumner,     Four  prints,  each 
R.  34x24  in.     Reproduced   in   color  by   James   Akerman. 

Price  $2.25  each.     (Publisher's  price,  65  cts.  each,  or 
set  for  $2.50.)     L.  or  M. 

*  5.     The  four  seasons.     By   Heywood  Sumner.     Four  prints, 
R.  each  36x19  in.     Reproduced  in  colors  by  James  Aker- 
man.    Price   $2.25    each.     (Publisher's    price,    65    cts. 
each  or  set  for  $2.50.)     L.  or  M. 

G.     The  plough.     By  Heywood  Sumner.     37x24  in.     Colored 
R.         by  hand.     Price  $2.50.     (Publisher's  price,  $1.10.)     L. 
or  M. 

RIVIERE   PRINTS. 

Lithographs  from  pictures  painted  for  the  purpose  by  the 
French  artist  Henri  Riviere.  Published  by  Eugene  Verneau, 
108  Rue  de  la  Folie-Mericourt,  Paris.  22x32  in.  and  smaller. 
Publisher's  price  in  France,  for  largest  size,  10  francs  ($2.00). 

[4Y] 


An  eminent  critic  says :     "I  have  praised  Riviere  many  times. 
Words  fail  me  to  describe  his  charm  and  power.     His  work  dis- 
plays simplicity,   feeling,  invention,  and  the  imagination  of  the 
true  poet." 
'^  1.     The    setting    sun.     (Le    Coucher    du    Soliel.)      By    Henri 

li.  Riviere.     24x36   in.     Price,   $4.50.     (Publisher's  price, 

$3.00.)     M.  or  U. 
*  2.     The   evening  star.     By   Henri   Riviere.     9x24  in.     Price, 

R.         $2.75.     (Publisher's    price,    $1.25.)     M.    or    U.     Best 
adapted  for  use  in  city  schools. 

3.  The    mountain.     (La    Montagne.)     By     Henri    Riviere. 
R.  24x36  in.    Price,  $5.00.    (Publisher's  price,  $2.00.)    M. 

4.  The    bay.     (La    Baie.)     By    Henri    Riviere.     24x36    in. 
R.  Price,  $5.00.     (Publisher's  price,  $2.00.)     M. 

5.  Woods  in  winter.     (Le  Bois  I'Hiver.)     By  Henri  Riviere. 
R.         24x36  in.  Price,  $5.00.   (Publisher's  price,  $2.00.)     M. 


VOIGTLANDER    PRINTS. 

Published  by  R.  Voigtlander,  Leipzig,  Germany.  Lithographs 
in  colors,  of  paintings  by  German  artists.  The  pictures  are  drawn 
upon  stone  by  the  artists  themselves  and  are  printed  under  their 
direct  supervision.  Publishers'  prices,  28x40  in.,  6  marks,  22x30 
in.,  5  marks,  12x16  in.,  2^^  marks. 

The  pictures  published  by  Voigtlander  are  standard. 

*  1.     A  farmyard  in  the  Palatinate.     (Pfalzischer  Bauernhof.) 

By  Albert  Haueisen.     28x40  in.     Price,  $4.00.     (Pub- 
lisher"s  price,  $1.50.)      L.     Excellent. 

*  2.     Swabian     village.     (Schwabisches     Dorf.)     By     Georgi. 

28x40  in.     Price,    $4.00.     (Publisher's    price,    $1.50.) 
L. 

*  3.     Twilight.  (Diimmerung  im   Watt.)      By   Matthaei.     22x 
R.          30   in.  Price.   $3.50.     (Publisher's   price,   $1.25.)     M. 

or  U. 

*  4.     The    iron    guard.      (Eiserne    Wehr.)      By    Angelo    Jank. 
R.  22x30    in.     Price,    $3.50.     (Publisher's    price,    $1.25.) 

M.  U.  or  H.      Excellent. 
[48] 


0.     A    ruin.     (Eine    Ruine.)     By    Hoch.     28x40    in.     Price, 
$4.00.     (Publisher's  price,  $1.50.)     U.  or  H. 

6.  Village  street  in  lower  Germany.     (Niederdeutsche  Dorf- 
R.  strasse.)     By     Kallmorgen.     33x30    in.     Price,     $3.00. 

(Publisher's  price,  $1.35.)     L.  or  M. 

7.  The  Rhine  at  Bingen.     (Der  Rhein  bei  Bingen.)     By  v. 
R.  Volkmann.       28x40    in.       Price,    $4.00.       (Publisher's 

price,  $1.50.)     U.  or  H. 

8.  The    brook    in    winter.      (Bach    im    Winter.)     By    Hoch. 
R.         22x30  in.     Price,  $3.00.     (Publisher's  price,  $1.35.)     M. 

U.  or  H. 

*  9.     An    old    castle.     (Altes    Schloss.)     By    von    Ravenstein. 
R.  33x30    in.     Price,    $3.00.      (Publisher's    price,    $1.35.) 

M.  or  U. 
*10.     Swabian    city.       (Schwabisches    Stadtchen.)       By    Adolf 
Luntz.     88x40    in.     Price,     $4.00.      (Publisher's    price, 
$1.50.)     M.  or  U. 

TEUBNER    PRINTS. 

Published  by  B.  G.  Teubner,  Post-Strasse  3,  Leipzig,  Germany. 
Lithographs  from  pictures  painted  by  German  artists  for  this 
purpose.  Publisher's  prices  in  Germany  28x40  in.  6  marks ; 
33x30  in.  4  marks ;   20x24  in.  3  marks. 

"They  find  a  wide  welcome,  and  they  leave  the  aesthetic  con- 
science unimpaired." 

*  1.     The   wheatfield.     (Wogendes    Kornfeld.)     By   Hans   von 
R.  \'olkmann.      28x40     in.      Price,     $4.00.       (Publisher's 

price,  $1.50.)      M.  and  U.     Very  hcautiful. 

*  2.     Oak-trees.      (Eichen.)       By    Edmund     Kanoldt.      28x40. 
R.         Price,  $4.00.     (Publisher's  price,  $1.50.)     U.  or  PL 

*  3.     The    Matterhorn.      By    Wieland.      22x30.      Price,    $:{.0n. 

(Publisher's  price,  $1.00.)     U. 

4.  Peasant    ploughing.     (Pfluegender    Bauer.)      By    Cicorj;-!. 
R.         28x40.     Price,   $4.00.      (Publisher's    price,   $1.50  )      U. 

or  H. 

5.  Roman    Campagna.     By     Max     Roman.     28x1  <>      Price, 
R.         $4.00.     (Publisher's  price,  $1.50.)     H. 

[49] 


6.     Moonrise.      (Mondaufgang.)      By      Kampmann.      28x40 
R.  Price,  $4.00.     (Publisher's  price,  $1.50.)     M  .or  U. 

*  7.     May    morning.      (Maimorgen.)      By    Otto    Fikentscher. 
R.         12x16.     Price,  $1.50.     (Publisher's  price,  65  cts.)     M. 
or  U. 


OTHER    FOREIGN    LITHOGRAPHS    AND    PHOTOGRAVURES    IN    COLOR. 

'"  1.     Let  me  live  only  on  the  Rhine.     (Nur  am  Rhein  will  ich 
R.  leben.)     By  Erich  von  Nekutowski.     15x35  in.     Price, 

$4.50.     U. 
*=  2.     Entengeschnatter.     By  Hans  C.  Ulrich.     Price  $2.75.     16x 

38  in.     L. 
'  3.     Autumn  on  the  heath.     By  Franz  Kortyohann.     20x29  in. 

Price,  $10.00.     M.  U.  and  H. 
^  4.     The  poppy  field.     By  Szinyci.     20x33  in.     Price,  $10.00. 
R.  M.  or  U.     This  may  also  be  had  in  an  American  print, 

14x17  in.  at  $4.00. 
'  5.     Return  of  the  flock.     By  Mueller.     This  is  a  colored  etch- 
ing 20x29  in.     Price,  $18.00.     L.  M.  U.  or  H. 
'  6.     Evening  after  the  thunder  storm.     By  Merker.     27x30  in. 

A  colored  photogravure.     Price,  $20.00. 
'  7.     Scotch  landscape.     By  Charles  Collins.     13x27  in.     Price, 
R.  $7.50.     M.  U.  or  H. 

Fisherman's  wife.  (Femme  de  pecheur.)  By  Houben. 
A  colored  photogravure,  21x29  in.  Price,  $15.00.  L. 
M.  U.  or  I-I. 


* 


[50] 


LIST  OF   COLORED  LITHOGRAPHS  IN    USE  IN   VIENNA   SCHOOLS. 

Published  by  K.  K.  Hof  and  Staatsdruckerei  in  connection  with 
the  "Lehrmittelzentrale"  Company  in  Vienna. 

Selected  by  a  jury  of  artists  and  educators.  Engravings  made 
by  the  artists  themselves. 

Size  27x26  in.     Publisher's  price,  $1.35.     (5.25  marks.) 

(The  writer  has  seen  none  of  these  and  can  say  nothing  as  to 
their  excellence.     The  Chicago  firms  have  not  imported  them.) 

1st  Scries. 

1.  Bamberger Flood    (Ueberschwemmung) 

2.  Comploj Cinderella    ( Aschenbrodel) 

3.  Danilowatz Railroad  station   (Bahnhof) 

4.  Ederer Polar  bear  (Eisbar) 

5.  Ederer Pyramid    (Pyramide) 

6.  Kurzweil Fisherman  (Donaufischer) 

7.  Lenz The  mill  (Miihle) 

8.  Suppantschitsch The  valley  of  the  Danube  (Donautal) 

9.  Wilt Woods  in  the  fall  (Herbstwald) 


2nd  Series. 

10.  Earth ..  I-'armhouse    in    winter    (Stierisches    Bauernhaus    im 

Winter) 

11.  Engelhart Traveler  in  winter  (Wanderer  im  Winter) 

12.  Ederer In  the  pasture  (Auf  der  Weide) 

13.  Ederer.  ...  Farmhouse   in    winter    (Bauernhaus   im   Winter) 

14.  Friedrich Potter    ( Topfer) 

15.  Lenz In  the  carpenter  shop  (In  der  Tischlerwerkstatt) 

16.  Andri Farmer  ploughing  (Pfliigender  Bauer) 

17.  Wilt.  .Freighters  in  the  harbor  of  Trieste  ( Frachtschiffe  im 

Triester  Hafen) 

18.  Wilt  Semmering 

19.  Andri Harvesting  wheat    (Kornschneiden) 

20.  Andri Haying    ( Heuernte) 

[51] 


The  Langl  and  Holzel  pictures  are  designed  more  for  instruc- 
tion than  for  decoration,  though  some  of  them  are  very  decora- 
tive. 

"These  Holzel  pictures  are  so  beautiful,  so  carefully  prepared 
and  so  varied  in  instructive  qualities  and  at  the  same  time  so  as- 
tonishingly cheap,  that  every  temperament  can  gain  something 
from  this  fertile  field  of  education." 

Their  sizes  and  prices  follow : 


LANGL  S  PICTURES. 

Published  by  Ed.  Holzel,  Luisengasse  5.  Vienna.  Lithographs 
printed  in  oil  colors.  23x30.  Publisher's  prices  in  Austria: 
(a)  Historical  pictures,  seventy-one  subjects,  unmounted,  each 
50  cents ;  mounted,  75  cents,  (b)  Plans  of  famous  buildings, 
twelve  subjects,  30x39  in.  Single  25  cents  each.  Can  be  bought 
in  sets  at  lower  prices. 


HOLZEL  GE0GR.\PHICAL  PICTURES. 

Published  by  Ed.  Holzel,  Luisengasse  5,  Vienna.  Colored 
lithographs.  Large  size,  24x32  in.  Forty  subjects.  Single 
pictures  unmounted  $1.00;  mounted,  $1.25,     Can  be  bought  in 


sets  at  lower  prices. 


[52] 


AMERICAN   COLOR  PRINTS. 

In  addition  to  the  European  color  pictures  I  wish  to  mention 
some  American  color  prints  which  are  desirable  for  school  rooms. 

*  Hiawatha  (poster).     By  Elizabeth  Norris.     15x22  in.     Price, 

$2.00.     L. 

*  Gouda.      (Holland    scene.)      By    Gassier.     16x20    in.      Price, 

$4.00.     M.  or  U. 
■•'  In  the  Oraibi  plaza.     (Indians.)      By  Aikin.    14x21  in.    Price, 
$6.00.     U. 

*  Breaking   of  the    ice.     By    Fritz  Thaulow.     15x23  in.     Price, 
R.     $7.00.     M.  or  U. 

*  Play  days  in  Holland.     By  F.  Gharlet.  17x22  in.  Price,  $6.00. 

L. 

*  The  White  house,  Washington.     By  Jules  Guerin.     16x24  in. 

Price,  $5.00. 

*  The     Capitol,    Washington.     By    Jules     Guerin.     16x24    in. 
R.     Price,  $5.00. 

*  Smithsonian   institute.     By   Jules    Guerin.     16x24   in.     Price, 

$5.00. 
The   Guerin   pictures    can   be   bought    only    from    The   Uni- 
versity Art  Shop,  Evanston,  111. 


First  steps  in  a  child's  life.     By  Jessie  Wilcox  Smith.     9x14  in. 
Price,  $1.00  each.     L. 
The  first  lesson. 
The  first  dissipation. 
The  first  love. 
The  first  sermon. 
The  first  punishment. 

Children    at    school.     By    Jessie    Wilcox    Smith.     12x16    in. 
Price,  75  cts.  each.     L. 
The  first  day  at  school. 
Kept  in. 
The  recitation. 


[53] 


Set  of  child  pictures.     By  Jessie  Wilcox  Smith  and  Elizabeth 
Shippen  Green.     11x12  in.     Price  50  cents  each.     L. 

*  In  the  hammock — Jessie  Wilcox  Smith. 

*  Mushrooms — Elizabeth  Shippen  Green. 

*  Playing  parchesi — Elizabeth  Shippen  Green. 

*  Eating  apples — Elizabeth  Shippen  Green. 

*  Christmas  morning — Jessie  Wilcox  Smith. 

*  By  the  fire — Jessie  Wilcox  Smith. 

Any  of  these  three  sets  framed  in  panels  will  make  an  attractive 
frieze  for  children's  rooms. 

Walter  Crane's  illustrations  of  children's  classics.  Picture 
books  published  by  John  Lane,  New  York.  These  are  taken 
apart  and  framed  in  panels  to  be  used  as  friezes.  The  books  may 
be  bought  of  John  Lane,  67  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York;  A.  C.  Mc- 
Clurg  &  Co.,  215  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. ;  Eau  Claire  Book 
&  Stationery  Co.,  Eau  Claire,  Wis. ;  or  of  local  book  dealers  for 
25  cents  each.  They  include  *  Cinderella,  Red  Riding-Hood, 
Jack  and  the  beanstalk.  Hind  in  the  wood.  Three  bears.  Forty 
thieves,  and  other  favorites.     L. 

The  pictures  so  far  listed  with  the  exception  of  the  Guerin 
lithographs,  the  Crane  pictures  and  the  pictures  in  use  in  Vienna 
schools  can  be  obtained  from  any  of  the  following  firms : 

Chicago  Art  Education  Co.,  215  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
Anderson  Art  Co.,  178  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
W.  Scott  Thurber,  Fine  Art  Dealer,  210  Wabash  Ave.,  Chi- 
cago, 111. 
AI.  O'Brien  &  Son,  208  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
All  of  these  firms  allow  discounts  to  schools. 

However,  there  are  New  York  firms  who  will  import  pictures 
for  public  institutions  free  of  duty,  that  is  at  the  prices  given  as 
"Publisher's  price."     They  are : 

G.  E.  Stechert,  9  East  16th  St.,  New  York. 
The  J.  R.  Lynch  Co.,  24  East  23rd  St.,  New  York. 
It  is  sometimes  many  weeks  or  even  months  before  an  order 
for  importation  is  filled.     The  money  saved  often  makes  the  de- 
lav  worth  while. 

[54] 


LIST  OF  PHOTOGRAPHIC  REPRODUCTIONS  OF  THE  MASTERS. 

Knowing  well  the  predilection  of  many  school  men  and  women 
for  the  soft  browns  and  grays  of  the  photographic  reproductions 
of  the  old  and  modern  masters,  for  schoolroom  decoration,  and 
conceding  that  there  are  among  the  modern  masters  and  some  few 
of  the  old  ones  many  subjects  simple  enough  in  motif  and  in 
execution  to  lend  themselves  to  schoolroom  use,  I  append  a  short 
list  arranged  according  to  Forms  in  which  they  seem  perhaps 
most  suitable,  though  it  is  impossible  to  say  that  any  one  of  them 
belongs  only  in  one  Form  and  cannot  be  used  to  good  advantage 
in  other  Forrns.  Most  of  the  pictures  listed  in  Lower,  Upper  and 
Middle  Forms  may  properly  be  hung  in  High  School  rooms.  In 
fact,  the  High  School  seems  the  place  for  photographic  repro- 
ductions of  masterpieces.  Neither  is  this  list  thought  or  in- 
tended to  be  at  all  exhaustive.     It  is  merely  suggestive. 

Many  of  these  pictures  may  be  had  in  colors,  but  it  is  not  safe 
to  buy  them  unless  first  judged  by  an  artist.  It  is  next  to  impos- 
sible to  reproduce  the  complexity  of  color  of  an  oil  painting  by  the 
lithographic  process.  Then,  too,  the  color  reproductions  of 
famous  paintings  are  but  reproductions  of  reproductions,  and  for 
that  reason  also  are  often  inaccurate  in  tone.  It  is  quite  different 
with  the  German  and  French  lithographs  which  are  made  directly, 
from  the  originals  painted  for  the  purpose  and  which  are  printed 
under  the  supervision,  of  the  artist  himself. 

Primary. 

Feeding  her  birds Millet 

A  distinguished  member  of  the  humane  society Landseer 

Little  Rose Whistler 

R.  Shoeing  the  bay  mare Landseer 

The  sheepfold Jacques 

Escaped   cow Dupre 

Mother  and  daughter Douglas 

Spring Mauve 

Soft  persuasion Elsley 

R.  Shepherdess  knitting Millet 

[55] 


Primary  school  in  Brittany Geoffroy 

The  first  step Millet 

The  pet  bird v.  Bremen 

Madonna  of  the  rosary Murillo 

Middle. 

R.  Horse  fair Bonheur 

Children  of  Charles  I \"an  Dyke 

R.  Spring Corot 

R.  At  the  watering  trough Dagnan-Bouveret 

R.  Sir  Galahad '.Watts 

Ploughing Bonheur 

R.  Haying  time Dupre 

Deer  in  forest Bonheur 

Penelope  Boothby Reynolds 

Angels'  heads Reynolds 

Portrait  of  his  sons Rubens 

Equestrian  portrait  of  Prince  Don  Balthasar Velasquez 

The  return  to  the  farm Troyon 

Upper. 

Washington's  farewell  to  the  army Gow 

R.  Washington Stuart 

R.  Martha  Washington Stuart 

R.  Abraham  Lincoln St.  Gaudens 

Vikings Douglas 

Washington  crossing  the  Delaware Leutze 

R.  The  haymaker Adan 

A  reading  from  Homer Alma-Tadema 

R.  The   sheperdess Millet 

R.  The  fighting  Temeraire Turner 

R.  Song  of  the  lark Breton 

The  lake Corot 

R.  Water  gate Marcke 

Capitol  at  Washington 

[56] 


SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF  FLOWERS  IN  TALL  VASE. 


^     OF  THE     ^  ^\ 

UNIVERSITY 

Of 

^L  TOR  Nib 


High  School. 

Napoleon  and  the  old  guard Crofts 

Arch  of  Constantine,  Rome 

Arch  of  Titus 

Hunting  with  falcons    Fromentin 

The  golden  stairs    Burne-Jones 

Flight  of  night Hunt 

Roman  Forum.     View  from  Coliseum 

The  sphinx,    Egypt    

By  the  riverside Lerolle 

Parthenon,   Athens 

Aurora Guido  Reni 

Moses Michael  Angelo 

Cicero  denouncing  Catiline Maccari 

Evolution  of  the  book  (series  of  six)    (frieze) .  .  .  .Alexander 

Holy  Grail  series  (frieze) Abbey 

Advancement  of  literary  knowledge  (frieze) Oakley 

Frieze  of  the  prophets Sargent 


Probably  the  best  reproductions  of  these  subjects  or  at  any  rate 
the  ones  most  to  be  depended  upon,  are  the  carbon  photographs. 
The  process  by  which  they  are  made  produces  fadeless  reproduc- 
tions— a  point  greatly  in  their  favor. 

The  following  are  excellent : 

Berlin  Photographic  Company's  Reproductions  of  famous  paint- 
ings, l-i  East  23rd  St.,  New  York.  Photogravures.  21x29  in., 
$12.00;  20x28  in.,  $10.00;  15x19  in.,  $5.00;  10x14  in.,  $3.00;  7x9 
in.,  $1.00.     Good  catalog  sent  on  application. 

Braun's  Carbon  prints.  Braun,  Clement  &  Co.,  249  Fifth  Ave., 
New  York.  Photographic  reproductions  of  paintings,  sculpture 
and  architecture.  36x54  in.,  $80.00;  24x30  in.,  $18.00;  14x18 
in.  to  16x20  in.,  $5.00;  8x10  in.  (old  masters),  $2.00;  8x10  in. 
(modern),  $2.00;  11x14  in.,  $3.00.  Special  discounts  to  educa- 
r.onal  institutions.     Catalog  on  application. 

[59] 


Megger's  Carbon  Photographs.  Pviblished  by  Frank  Hegger, 
288  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York.  36x48  in.,  $40.00 ;  24x36  in.,  $15.00  ; 
18x24  in.  (old  masters),  $7.50  ;  architectural,  $6.00.  Will  proba- 
bly send  catalog. 

The  Copley  prints  also  deserve  mention.  They  are  published 
by  Curtis  &  Cameron,  Pierce  Building,  Boston,  Mass.  Prices 
as  follows  :  10x12  in.,  $2.50 ;  16x21  in.,  $5.00  and  $7.50  ;  24x26  in. 
or  28  in.,  $10.00;  30x40  in.,  $15.00.  They  come  both  in  sepia 
and  in  gray.  Many  of  the  subjects  are  not  suitable  for  school  use, 
but  a  few  are  very  desirable.  The  friezes  mentioned  in  High 
School  list  are  very  good  in  these  prints. 

All,  or  nearly  all,  of  the  pictures  enumerated  above  can  be 
obtained  direct  from  one  or  another  of  these  firms  or  from  any 
of  the  art  firms  in  Chicago  heretofore  mentioned,  or  from  the 
F.  H.  Bresler  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  Do  not  buy  too  small  pho- 
tographs for  framing.  They  are  entirely  uninteresting  unless 
they  can  be  seen  plainly. 

It  will  be  well  to  obtain  catalogs  from  the  Berlin  Photo- 
graphic Co.,  Braun,  Clement  &  Co.,  Frank  Hegger  and  Curtis 
and  Cameron,  before  purchasing,  as  many  of  the  subjects  are 
there  shown. 


CHEAPER   REPRODUCTIONS. 

Seemann's  Wall  Pictures.  Photographic  reproductions  of  mas- 
terpieces of  architecture,  painting  and  sculpture. .  .  Published  by 
E.  A.  Seemann,  Leipzig,  Germany.  18x26  in.  250  pictures,  in  25 
parts.  Price,  $5.00  each  part.  A  selection  of  any  10  plates, 
$7.50.  Single  plates,  $1.00.  Varnished  or  unvarnished.  Mounted 
on  card-board  (unvarnished  or  varnished)  at  an  additional  cost  of 
25  cents  for  each  picture. 

These  can  be  imported  through  the  New  York  importing  firms 
at  publisher's  prices. 

Turner  brown  prints.  Published  by  Horace  K.  Turner  Co., 
221  Columbus  Ave.,  Boston,  Mass.  Reproductions  from  the  orig- 
inals of  famous  paintings,  sculpture,  and  architecture  in  Europe 


[60] 


and  America.  14xi:  in..  $2.5U ;  lGx2U  in.,  $3.5U ;  18x22  in., 
$4.U(),  etc.,  to  50x70  in.,  $50.00.  Good  catalog  sent  on  applica- 
tion. 

Not  having  seen  any  of  these  in  use  I  am  unable  to  say  how 
long  they  will  keep  their  color. 

Reproductions  of  carbon  photographs.  Published  by  The 
Prang  Educational  Company,  378-388  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago, 
111.  A  few  of  the  pictures  mentioned  in  the  list  may  be  had  in 
this  style,  20x2G  in.  at  $1.00  each.  Catalog  sent  on  application. 
These  reproductions  are,  of  course,  not  as  lasting  as  the  photo- 
graphs, but  are  good  for  the  price. 

Bromide  enlargements.  Reproductions  of  famous  pictures  by 
special  process.  Published  by  Soule  Art  Publishing  Company, 
500-510  Dudley  St.,  Boston,  Mass.  They  range  in  size  from 
8x10  to  40x60  in.  and  in  price  from  60  cents  to  $22.00.  They 
may  be  had  in  black  and  white  or  in  sepia.  Cannot  say  from 
experience  how  long  they  will  last. 


It  will  be  safe  for  a  teacher  to  order  any  picture  given  in  the 
list  of  colored  lithographs  from  any  one  of  the  Chicago  art 
companies  listed.  It  will  also  be  safe  to  order  any  one  of  the 
famous  pictures  in  carbon  photographic  reproduction  from  any 
one  of  these  firms  or  from  the  F.  H.  Bresler  Co.,  Milwaukee. 
All  of  these  firms  ofifer  discounts  to  schools.  Any  one  of  them 
will  send  two  or  three  pictures  on  approval  with  the  view  of 
assisting  those  who  wish  to  purchase  reproductions  in  color 
which  will  harmonize  with  the  color  scheme  of  the  room.  If 
sample  of  color  scheme  be  sent  the  dealers  will  give  aid  in  select- 
ing pictures  in  tones  which  will  look  well  against  the  background 
for  which  they  are  intended. 

In  towns  where  a  number  of  pictures  are  to  be  bought,  it  will 
be  worth  while  to  import  through  the  New  York  firms  men- 
tioned, but  I  would  not  advise  this  course  when  only  a  few  pic- 
tures have  been  selected.  It  requires  several  months  to  make 
importations  from  Europe  and  in  case  there  is  anything  wrong 
in  the  filling  of  the  order  there  is  little  chance  for  redress  at  so 

[61] 


great  a  distance.  By  purchasing  the  German  and  French  litho- 
graphs and  EngHsh  prints  from  dealers  nearer  home  it  is  prob- 
able that  much  delay  and  annoyance  will  be  avoided  and  that 
more  satisfactory  selections  will  be  made,  all  of  which  will  be 
sufficient  compensation  for  the  higher  prices. 

Where  it  can  be  arranged  the  exhibit  of  the  Chicago  Art  Edu- 
cation Company,  or  the  Horace  K.  Turner  Company,  which  are 
spoken  of  earlier  in  this  pamphlet,  will  be  found  a  help  toward 
selection.  The  W.  Scott  Thurber  Co.,  210  Wabash  Ave.,  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  also  sends  out  exhibits  occasionally,  and  with  then, 
sends  a  lecturer.  In  arranging  for  exhibits  state  kind  of  pictures 
which  you  particularly  wish  to  see. 


[62] 


SMALL  PRINTS   FOR  STUDY,  REFERENCE  AND  NOTE  BOOK 
ILLUSTRATION. 

Geo.  P.  Brown  &  Co.,  Beverly,  Mass. 
Birds  and  nature  pictures  in  color,  2  cents.     Reproductions  of 
famous  pictures,  size  of  Perry  pictures.     Also  famous  repro- 
ductions in  miniature. 

The  Thompson  Publishing  Co.,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
4x5  blue  prints  for  note  book  illustration. 

Perry  Picture  Company,  Maiden,  Mass. 
Perry  pictures,  regular  size,  1  cent. 

New  York  edition  (sepia),  two  cents. 

10x12  in.  (sepia),  five  cents. 
Elson  prints  (photogravures  made  directly  from  negatives  from 

the  originals),  5>^x8  in.  on  paper  9x12  in.,  10  cts. 
Pictures  in  colors  (birds,  animals,  fruits,  etc.),  2  cents. 
Perry  pictures,  3x3^^  in.,  >4  cent. 

Chicago  Art  Education  Co.,  215  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
Prang  platinettes  (for  class  picture  study),  2  cents  unmounted, 
5  cents  mounted. 

Douglas  Art  Co.,  P.  O.  Box  176,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Douglas  prints  of  Library  of  Congress. 

A.  W.  Mumford  &  Co.,  378-388  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
Colored  photographs  of  birds,  animals,  flowers,  minerals,  2  cts. 

A.  M.  Kashine,  22  W.  99th  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Set  of  silk  worm  photographs,  $2.50  per  set. 

Nature  Study  Publishing  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 
Colored  photographs  of  birds. 


[63] 


MATS. 

There  is  no  rule  governing  the  use  of  picture  mats.  Usually 
large  reproductions  are  best  framed  without  a  mat,  while  small 
reproductions  of  the  same  sort  often  need  one.  Pictures  hav- 
ing much  in  them  frequently  look  crowded  if  framed  to  the  print 
(without  a  mat).  It  is  best  to  try  the  effect  both  with  and  with- 
out a  mat  before  framing,  as  the  question  must  be  settled  anew 
for  every  picture. 

The  choice  of  color  in  mats  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the 
picture.  In  most  cases  it  should  be  of  the  same  general  color  as 
the  picture,  but  leaning  rather  toward  its  middle  shades.  Color 
prints  often   look  better  with  white  or  cream  mats. 

The  thing  to  be  guarded  against  is  the  bringing  of  the  mat 
into  too  much  prominence.  It  should  serve  only  to  bring  out 
the  beauty  of  the  picture  and  should  attract  no  attention  to  itself. 

FRAMING. 

When  choosing  a  frame,  select  a  plain  molding  of  natural 
wood.  A  gilt  lining  is  not  necessary  and  is  also  expensive.  Do 
not  choose  natural  wood  in  which  the  grain  is  too  noticeable. 
Never  use  gilt  frames  in  schoolrooms. 

The  natural  wood  molding  may  often  be  stained  to  harmonize 
with  some  tone  of  the  picture.  In  general  it  should  lean  toward 
the  darker  tones. 

In  framing  color  prints,  a  dull  green  or  black  molding  is  often 
very  good.  Use  wider  moldings  when  framing  without  a  mat 
than  when  framing  with  a  mat. 

There  must  be  nothing  in  the  frame  which  will  attract  the 
eye  before  it  is  caught  by  the  picture.     Let  simplicity  be  the  rule. 

HANGING. 

Hang  pictures  low  and  where  pupils  can  see  them  plainly.  If 
hung  above  the  blackboard  a  space  of  at  least  8  inches  should  be 
left  between  the  board  and  the  frame.  A  picture  with  the  wall 
color  as  a  background  all  around  it  will  "stand  out"  better. 

[04] 


Every  picture  should  have  as  good  a  hght  on  it  as  is  possible. 
Never  hang  between  two  windows  set  near  together.  Hang 
flat  or  nearly  flat  against  the  wall,  the  picture  so  hung  becomes 
more  a  part  of  the  room. 

If  you  have  several  pictures  for  the  same  wall  space,  avoid 
hanging  so  that  the  tops  or  bottoms  of  the  frames  will  form  a 
straight  line  across  the  wall.  Also  avoid  any  other  regularity 
in  the  hanging  such  as  the  forming  of  geometric  designs  by  exact 
grouping. 

Do  not  hang  many  pictures  on  any  wall  space.  By  hanging 
too  many  you  dissipate  their  effect  and  distract  the  attention. 
Before  hanging  always  study  the  shapes  and  sizes  of  your  wall 
spaces  and  the  shapes  and  sizes  of  your  pictures  and  then  ar- 
range as  effectively  as  you  can. 

Always  have  a  molding  extending  entirely  around  the  room, 
from  which  to  hang  pictures.  The  wall  should  never  be  defaced 
with  nails  and  tacks. 


CASTS. 

A  plaster  cast  reproduction  of  some  piece  of  antique  or  mod- 
ern sculpture  often  adds  greatly  to  the  effective  decoration  of  a 
schoolroom.  Those  "in  the  round"  may  be  placed  on  the  book 
shelves,  the  teacher's  desk  or  on  a  pedestal  for  the  purpose,  and 
those  in  relief  may  be  hung  flat  against  the  wall.  As  much  at- 
tention should  be  paid  to  getting  the  right  light  on  a  cast  as  to 
getting  it  on  a  picture.  This  can  be  determined  only  by  trial. 
Light  should,  of  course,  come  from  only  one  side.  Some  of  the 
best  casts  for  school  use  are  the  following: 

M.     Lion  walking Bayre 

L.     A  Bambino  (relief)   Delia  Robbia 

L.     St.  John  Donatello 

M.     Choir  boys  with  book  (relief)   Delia  Robbia 

H.     Apollo  Belvedere  (bust)   

H.     Augustus  Caesar 

H.     Doryphorus  (bust)    Polycletus 

[65] 


U.  Hermes  (bust)   Praxiteles 

H.  Minerva  Giustiniani   

U.  Wrestlers    

M.  Boy  extracting  thorn   

H.  Ajax  (bust)   

H.  Minerva  of  Velletri 

U.  Grant Simmons 

U.  Longfellow Brock 

H.  Shakespeare    Roubilliac 

M.  Washington Houdon 

M.  Franklin   ; Houdon 

U.  Lincoln   Volke 

H.  Winged  Victory  of  Samathrace 

H.  Triumph  of  Alexander 

H.  David  Michaelangelo 

H.  Sections  of  Parthenon  Frieze  (relief)    

Do  not  have  too  many  casts  nor  casts  that  are  too  large.  It  is 
better  to  have  no  casts  than  to  have  too  many,  though  they  are 
very  beautiful  if  appropriately  chosen  and  well  placed.  Old 
ivory  finish  is  much  more  desirable  than  pure  white. 

P.  P.  Caproni  and  Brother,  1920  Washington  St.,  Boston, 
Mass.,  make  and  sell  good  plaster  cast  reproductions. 

The  Chicago  Art  Education  Company  carries  a  good  line  at 
reasonable  prices.     Catalogs   sent  from   either  firm. 


POTTERY. 

There  are  now  made  many  forms  in  pottery,  simple  and  beau- 
tiful in  outline  and  color,  which  can  be  bought  at  reasonable  prices. 
They  are  largely  reproductions  of  Japanese  forms  but  some  origi- 
nal designs  come  from  the  kilns  of  home  artists.  They  may  be 
had  in  gray-greens,  blues,  browns,  terra  cotta  and  metal  effects, 
and  i"n  dull  glaze  and  range  in  price  from  twenty-five  cents  to  five 
dollars  or  more.  A  few  pieces  of  this  pottery  will  be  found 
very  effective  for  decorative  purposes.  Some  of  the  bet- 
ter glazes  may  be  used  for  cut  flowers  and  all  occasionally  for 

[66] 


SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF  FLOWERS  IN  BOWL-LIKE  RECEPTACLE. 


dried  leaves  and  grasses.     To  drawing  classes  they  are  of  great 
service. 

The  Prang  Educational  Company,  378-388  Wabash  Ave.,  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  and  the  Chicago  Art  Education  Company,  215  Wa- 
bash Ave.,  Chicago,  111.,  have  good  things  in  the  pottery  line  at 
reasonable  prices. 


VASES. 


If  you  have  money  enough  you  may  wish  to  buy  a  beautiful 
vase  for  decoration.  The  selecting  of  this  must  be  done  care- 
fully, and  the  whole  room  taken  into  consideration  so  that  the 
colors  in  the  vase  and  on  the  walls  will  be  in  harmony.  Its 
beauty  may  add  the  one  last  touch  necessary  to  a  perfect  room, 
or  on  the  other  hand,  its  note  of  color  may  mar  an  otherwise 
harmonious  whole. 

In  general,  seek  a  vase  with  refined  curves,  good  proportions, 
and  a  smooth  surface.  All  pretzel  forms  and  gingerbread 
ornamentation,  and  flowers  and  scenes  in  bright  colors  should  be 
avoided. 

There  are  probably  few  schools  able  to  afiford  expensive  vases 
and  it  is  doubtful  if  they  are  often  desirable. 


FLOWERS    AND   RECEPTACLES    FOR    FLOWERS. 

Cut  flowers,  and  many  of  them  will  be  brought  to  you  by  your 
pupils.  There  may  often  be  an  embarrassment  of  riches  in  this 
direction.  It  is  hard  to  arrange  tastefully  many  flowers,  or 
flowers  of  many  different  colors.  It  is  better  to  have  a  few  at  a 
time  and  those  all  of  one  or  two  varieties.  Too  many  flowers  in 
a  vase  produce  a  clublike  effect.  They  should  stand  loosely  and 
in  some  cases  much  of  the  stem  should  be  exposed. 

By  exercising  a  little  tact  you  will  be  able  to  arrange  with  the 
children  so  that  you  will  be  supplied  with  a  few  fresh  flowers 
each  day  in  the  spring  and  fall.     Vases  holding  bouquets  should 

[69] 


receive    daily    attention.     Withered    blossoms    should    never    be 
permitted  to  stand  in  the  room. 

In  buying  vases  for  flowers,  select  those  having  good  lines 
and  no  ornamentation.  The  plain  clear  glass  vases  are  as  a 
rule  to  be  preferred  and  are  inexpensive.  Many  of  them  are 
excellent  in  design.  There  should  be  at  least  two  of  these  in 
each  room,  one  tall  and  the  other  bowl-like,  because  different 
flowers  need  differently  shaped  vases.  The  glass  bowls  com- 
monly used  for  keeping  gold  fish  are  excellent  for  large  bunches 
of  roses,  nasturtiums  and  wild  flowers. 


PLANTS. 

A  few  growing  plants  will  lend  as  much  cheerfulness  and  at- 
tractiveness to  a  schoolroom  as  any  other  decoration.  Un- 
fortunately but  few  schools  in  Wisconsin  possess  a  heating  plant 
which  keeps  the  temperature  always  above  the  freezing  point. 
For  those  which  do,  the  variety  of  plants  which  may  be  grown  is 
large :  oxalis,  primrose,  amaryllis,  begonia  and  German  ivy  are 
among  the  best.  Others  must  confine  themselves  to  those  vari- 
eties of  dwarf  pine  which  will  not  freeze  and  which  are  decorative. 

All  plants  in  the  schoolroom  should  be  placed  in  earthen  pots 
and  arranged  upon  a  zinc  lined  table  or  window  board.  If  there 
is  a  sunny  window  removed  some  distance  from  the  desks  use 
a  table.  If  not,  use  a  window  board  where  it  will  least  inter- 
fere with  free  use  of  the  aisles. 

The  zinc  covering  should  be  made  with  raised  edges  so  that 
it  will  form  a  shallow  pan.  In  this  way  all  superfluous  moisture 
will  be  kept  from  dripping  on  the  floor. 

Paint  the  table  or  window  shelves  the  color  of  the  woodwork 
of  the  room. 

Select  large  pots  and  rich  friable  soil  for  planting. 


[YO] 


SMALL    PICTURES    AND    PUPILS     WORK. 

A  word  as  to  the  penny  Perry  pictures  and  others  of  the 
same  kind.  They  are  excellent  half  tones,  and  a  good  collection 
of  them  is  valuable  in  a  schoolroom.  You  should  not,  however, 
make  the  mistake  of  using  them  for  decorative  purposes.  They 
should  be  cut  from  their  white  margins ;  neatly  mounted  on  card- 
board and  filed  away  for  later  study.  They  will  be  helpful  in 
teaching  many  lessons  in  history  and  geography;  in  the  study  of 
great  men's  lives  and  great  deeds,  and  will  help  to  familiarize 
pupils  with  the  paintings  of  great  artists. 

Whenever  these  small  pictures  are  needed,  they  may  be  brought 
out  and  fastened  to  the  bulletin  board  for  a  few  days,  or  the  pupils 
may  be  given  access  to  them.  But  at  all  times  their  main  pur- 
pose should  be  for  study,  not  for  decoration. 

I  also  want  to  caution  you  about  decorating  the  rooms  with 
the  work  of  the  children.  It  is  very  gratifying  to  the  pupils  to 
have  their  efforts  recognized  in  this  way.  They  like  to  see  their 
work  on  the  walls,  and  it  is  right  that  some  of  the  best  work 
should  be  placed  there,  but  it  should  not  remain  longer  than  a  few 
days.  The  best  work  of  the  pupils  ,  no  matter  how  good,  is  not 
good  enough  for  other  pupils  to  copy,  hence  it  should  not  be  al- 
lowed to  hang  permanently  before  their  eyes. 


[71] 


OUTDOOR    DECORATION 


OUTDOOR  DECORATION. 

A  first  essential  in  beautiful  schoolgrounds  is  tidiness.  No 
loose  sticks,  stones,  pieces  of  paper  or  other  offending  material 
should  be  seen  lying-  about.  It  is  never  impossible  to  keep  the 
grounds  neat.  It  is  impossible  to  make  them  beautiful  if  they 
are  not  kept  neat. 

While  many  of  our  schoolhouses  are  ideally  located,  there  are 
very  many  which  stand  in  barren  and  bleak  places  and  which 
make  little  or  no  pretense  to  beauty  of  surroundings.  The  lo- 
cation of  the  schoolhouse  cannot  be  changed,  but  the  surround- 
ings may  be  made  beautiful.  Trees  and  shrubs,  vines  and  flow- 
ers may  be  induced  to  grow  in  any  part  of  Wisconsin.  Deso- 
late playgrounds  may  be  made  shady  and  delightful.  Ugly 
fences  and  buildings  may  assume  lovely  and  graceful  shapes. 
Corners  and  odd  places  may  be  made  spots  of  beautiful  color. 

It  is  certainly  due  the  pupils  in  a  school  that  they  should  have 
as  much  beauty  about  them  as  possible.  The  beautifying  of  the 
schoolgrounds  will  not  only  give  them  pleasure  through  the  eye, 
but  will  create  in  them  a  love  for  growing  things  which  will  be 
of  benefit  to  them  all  their  lives. 

"Two  primary  objects  should  be  kept  in  view  in  the  decoration 
of  the  school  grounds:     (1)  Instruction;  (2)  Beauty  and  utility. 

The  primary  object  of  the  school  is  instruction.  The  work  of 
beautifying  the  school  grounds  should  also  carry  with  it  an  ele- 
ment of  instruction.  The  grounds  should  serve  as  an  object  les- 
son for  the  residents  of  the  community  in  which  the  school  is 
located.  They  should  be  laid  out  on  sound  principles  of  land- 
scape gardening,  and  be  so  well  executed  as  to  induce  residents 
of  the  vicinity  to  co])y  the  general  idea  of  the  plan  and  possibly 
the  details  of  the  shrul)l)ery  groups.  The  idea  of  beauty  can  be 
emphasized  in  the  proper  grouping  of  trees  and  shrubs  in  rela- 

[T5] 


tion  to  walks,  drives,  and  vistas,  and  utility  can  be  subserved  by 
so  placing'  the  heavy  plantings  as  to  serve  as  a  shield  from  the 
wind  or  sun.  Shrubbery  groups  can  be  arranged  so  as  to  sepa- 
rate one  portion  of  the  grounds  from  another  and  yet  not  in- 
terfere with  large  open  spaces  which  can  be  used  as  playgrounds, 
such  as  ball  fields,  tennis  courts,  etc."  '^ 

Before  anything  is  done  toward  improving  the  grounds,  it  is 
best  to  try  to  awaken  an  interest  in  the  pupils  and  in  the  older 
members  of  the  community.  You  will  work  against  odds  if  you 
undertake  to  work  alone.  It  may  require  tact  and  patience,  but 
the  friends  of  the  school  must  be  brought  to  a  desire  to  improve 
the  schoolgrounds,  to  take  pride  in  them,  and  to  wish  to  help 
in  making  them  beautiful.  Do  not  despair  if  this  is  difficult  of 
attainment.     It  has  ahvays  been  so. 

Central  Park  was  secured  to  the  people  of  New  York  only  in 
the  face  of  the  bitterest  opposition,  but  it  has  proven  itself  to  the 
people  a  blessing  of  beauty  and  rest,  and  to  the  city  a  great  finan- 
cial aid,  as  it  has  not  only  paid  for  itself,  but  has  brought  to  the 
city  many  millions  of  dollars  in  taxes  on  surrounding  prop- 
erty. This  beauty  spot  has  certainly  been  worth  while,  and 
yours  will  be  worth  while. 

Every  schoolhouse  site  should  contain  at  least  one  acre  of  land. 
When  much  planting  is  to  be  done  it  would  be  better  to  have 
an  acre  and  a  half,  or  two  acres.  In  schools  where  there  is  a 
large  attendance  more  than  this  is  desirable. 

A  plan  of  the  grounds  should  always  be  made  before  any  work 
is  done,  and  on  this  plan  should  be  indicated  the  exact  spots  for 
planting  trees,  shrubs,  vines  and  flowers.  The  first  thing  to 
locate,  however,  is  sufficient  playground  for  the  children.  The 
latter  must  always  have  room  to  run  and  play  and  must  never 
feel  restricted  by  the  too  near  presence  of  flowers  and  shrubs. 
But  even  after  large  clear  play  spaces  have  been  set  aside  you 
will  find  ample  room  for  ornamentation.  Then  plan  with  care 
and  for  the  years  to  come.  Trees  and  shrubs  are  so  slow  of 
growth  that  no  mistakes  in  original  planting  can  be  afforded. 

Let  me  urge  on  you  in  making  your  plan  not  to  waste  your 
energies  in  placing  great  quantities  or  varieties   of  plants  and 


*L.  C.  Corbett  in  The  School  Garden. 

[70] 


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flowers  in  the  spaee  i>iven.  or  in  stripping-  away  all  the  old 
landmarks  and  redncing  yonr  gronnds  to  formal  gardens  of 
walks  and  beds  and  borders,  but  to  take  things  as  you  find  them, 
to  study  them  closely  and  in  detail  and  in  their  relation  to  the 
whole  that  you  may  know  best  what  use  to  make  of  them,  and 
above  all  to  get  such  a  conception  of  the  possibilities  of  that  bit 
of  landscape  which  you  have  set  about  to  beautify,  that  you  will 
arrange  for  the  planting  of  no  tree  or  shrub  or  vine  without 
first  being  able  to  see  just  what  its  relation  to  your  whole  scheme 
will  be.  Ruskin  says,  "almost  all  natural  landscapes  are  re- 
dundant sources  of  more  or  less  confused  beauty,  out  of  which 
the  human  instinct  of  invention  can  by  just  choice,  arrange  not  a 
better  treasure,  but  one  infinitely  more  fitted  to  human  sight  and 
emotion,  infinitely  narrower,  infinitely  less  lovely  in  detail,  but 
having  this  great  virtue  that  there  shall  be  nothing  that  does 
not  contribute  to  the  effect  of  the  whole."  Let  this  guide  you 
when  you  are  planning  and  planting. 


THE  PLAN.* 

"The  first  essential  for  the  work  of  beautifying  the  grounds 
will  be  a  plan.  The  beginning  of  this  plan  may  be  a  rough 
sketch  of  the  area  on  which  the  school  building  stands,  with  di- 
rections and  distances  marked  upon  it.  Next,  locate  the  per- 
manent objects,  such  as  trees  and  buildings.  Determine  next 
the  main  lines  of  travel  leading  to  the  schoolhouse  and  use  these 
as  a  basis  for  the  permanent  walks,  unless  there  is  some  good 
reason  for  changing  the  main  paths.  The  walks  and  drives 
should  be  straight,  if  distances  are  less  than  100  feet,  and  gently 
curved  if  longer,  so  as  to  admit  of  the  use  of  trees  and  shrubs 
along  the  border.  The  outlook  from  each  door  and  window 
should  be  carefully  inspected  before  determining  which  objects 
in  the  landscape  should  be  retained  in  view  and  which  hidden  or 
concealed  by  the  use  of  trees  and  shrubs. 

Trees  and  shrubs  should  be  confined  chiefly  to  the  borders  of 
the  place,  an  open  and  unbroken  lawn  being  preserved  in  front 

*L.  C.  Corbett  in  The  school  garden. 

[T9] 


and  at  the  sides  or  rear  where  playgrounds  are  to  be  maintained. 
In  rural  districts  the  trees  should  be  so  located  as  to  give  pro- 
tection from  storms  in  winter  and  from  the  sun  in  summer,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  produce  a  pleasing  effect.  Shrubs  may  be 
employed  to  advantage  in  screening  unsightly  objects.  The 
plans  of  the  grounds  will  serve  both  as  an  exercise  in  geography 
and  in  arithmetic,  and  if  the  pupils  are  encouraged  to  make  such 
designs  their  interest  in  the  work  will  be  assured  and  a  practical 
application  of  the  principles  taught  in  the  schoolroom  will  be  a 
result  of  no  little  value. 

WALKS. 

The  walks  leading  to  and  from  the  school  should  be  direct, 
but  where  space  will  permit  they  should  have  gentle  and  pleas- 
ing curves  which  conform  to  the  contour  of  the  ground.  Upon 
level  areas  it  is  well  to  allow  an  artistic  use  of  shrubs  in  groups 
in  the  bays,  which  shall  serve  to  break  the  monotony  and  obtru- 
siveness  of  an  unscreened  straight  walk  across  an  open  lawn. 

The  material  used  in  the  construction  of  walks  will  be  de- 
termined by  circumstances  and  by  the  locality  in  which  the  work 
is  to  be  done.  When  the  walks  are  to  be  made  permanent,  noth- 
ing fills  the  requirements  better  than  cement  or  artificial  stone. 
When  gravel  or  cement  is  used  the  walks  should  be  made  slightly 
crowning,  and  the  highest  point  in  the  surface  should  be  at  least 
2  inches  below  the  general  level  of  the  greensward.  No  coping 
or  borders  should  be  allowed,  and  the  grass  should  be  brought 
up  to  the  edge  of  the  gravel  or  cement.  A  slightly  sunken  walk 
makes  the  care  of  the  lawn  easier,  besides  hiding  it  very  effec- 
tively from  view  when  looking  across  the  lawn,  thus  giving 
the  grassplot  an  unbroken  appearance  and  having  the  effect  of 
enlarging  its  extent. 

LAWNS. 

Lawns  are  the  foundation  of  all  decorative  i:)lanting".  A  good, 
well-kept  lawn  contributes  more  to  the  beauty  of  grounds  than 
any  other  single  factor.     For  this  reason  special  attention  should 

[80] 


be  given  to  the  grading,  cultivation,  and  enriching  of  the  area 
to  be  devoted  to  the  lawn.  After  good  preparation  come  good 
seed  and  care. 

The  variety  of  soils  which  will  be  encountered  and  the  special 
treatments  which  they  need  render  it  possible  to  make  only  the 
broadest  generalizations  here.  For  localities  north  of  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  Richmond,  Va.,  lawns  can  be  formed  chiefly  of  blue- 
grass,  redtop,  and  white  clover." 

TREES. 

You  may  have  some  fine  trees  growing  on  the  school  grounds, 
but  if  you  have  not,  a  few  strong  specimens  should  be  set  out. 
Some  may  also  be  planted  outside  of  the  grounds,  along  the  road 
and  walks. 

According  to  Professor  I.  N.  Mitchell  of  the  Milwaukee  Nor- 
mal School,  the  following  varieties  of  trees  are  best.  They  are 
placed  in  the  order  of  their  desirability : 

1.  Elm;  2.  Norway  maple;  3.  Basswood ;  4.  Oak,  white;  6. 
Ash,  white  or  green ;  6.  Sugar  maple ;  7.  Tamarack ;  8.  Cut- 
leaf  birch;  9.  Wild  black  cherry  (attractive  to  birds)  ;  10.  Rus- 
sian mulberry  (attractive  to  birds)  ;  11.  Colorado  blue  spruce 
(  evergreen ) . 

Professor  Cranefield,  Secretary  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Horti- 
cultural Society,  gives  the  following  list  in  his  bulletin,  Trees 
and  shrubs  for  sJiade  and  ornament.  The  more  desirable  ones 
are  double  starred  and  a  further  selection  of  five  is  indicated  by 
single  stars. 
**  American  Elm 

*  Box   Elder 
Black  Cherry 
Carolina  Poplar 

**  Green  Ash 

*  Hackberry 
Honey  Locust 
Larch 

**  Linden  (Basswood) 
**   \orwav   ^laple 

[  83  ] 


*  Scarlet  Maple 
**  Silver  Alaple 


'^  Sugar  Maple 
Scarlet  Oak 
*  White  Oak 
White  Ash 
Following'  is  his  list  of  "best"  sorts  of  evergreens  for  general 
planting : 

Norway   Spruce 
Colorado  Blue  Spruce 
Arborvitae 
White  Spruce 
White  Pine 

Savin    Juniper    (dwarf) 
.  Mugho  Pine  (dwarf) 

Most  of  these  evergreens  are  slow  growing.  If  there  are  no 
trees  on  the  school  grounds,  it  might  be  well  to  use  at  first  one  or 
two  varieties  of  quick  growth  such  as  the  soft  maple  and  box 
elder,  these,  however,  to  be  cut  out  as  soon  as  the  better  trees 
attain  any  considerable  size. 

TREE    PLANTING. 

Do  not  try  to  transplant  very  large  trees.  If  forest  trees  are 
used  it  is  better  to  select  those  growing  on  the  edges  and  thus 
most  isolated,  because  they  have  already  learned  to  protect 
themselves  by  growing  heavier  bark.  If  trees  growing  in  thick 
woods  are  taken  up  and  transplanted,  they  are  almost  sure  to 
die,  no  matter  how  much  care  is  given  them,  because  they  are  ac- 
customed to  protection  from  surrounding  trees  and  brush. 

Before  planting  a  tree,  examine  its  roots  and  cut  off  with  a 
sharp  knife  all  those  which  have  been  injured. 

Transplanting  must  always  be  very  carefully  done  because 
the  tree  is  at  a  most  critical  period  in  its  life.  If  no  gardener  is 
in  charge  of  your  grounds,  solicit  the  assistance  of  some  person 
who  has  had  experience  in  the  planting  of  trees.  However, 
should  the  work  devolve  entirely  upon  you  and  your  pupils, 
study  the  following  rules  laid  down  in  a  pamphlet  sent  out  by 
the  United  States  Department  of  .Agriculture: 

[  84  ]  ■ 


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"Planting  is  best  done  by  two  or  three  persons.  A,  who  mani- 
pulates the  tree,  is  the  planter,  and  is  responsible  for  the  results ; 
B  and  C  do  the  spading  under  his  direction.  A  places  the  tree 
in  the  hole,  to  ascertain  whether  this  is  the  proper  size ;  a  board  or 
stick  laid  across  the  hole  aids  in  judging  the  depth.  Trees 
should  not  be  set  deeper  than  they  stood  before,  except  in  loose, 
poor  soil.  More  trees  are  killed  by  too  deep  planting  than  the 
reverse.  If  the  root  system  is  developed  side  wise  but  not  cen- 
trally, as  is  often  the  case,  a  hill  is  raised  in  the  hole  to  fit  the 
hollow  space  in  the  root  system,  and  the  earth  of  the  hill  is 
patted  down  with  the  spade. 

"When  the  hole  is  in  proper  order,  A  holds  the  tree  perpendic- 
ularly in  the  middle  of  the  hole,  with  the  side  bearing  the 
fullest  branches  toward  the  south  or  southwest,  for  better  pro- 
tection of  the  shaft  against  the  sun.  B  and  C  spread  the  roots 
into  a  natural  position  and  then  fill  in  the  soil,  using  the  good 
^rface  soil  first — small  spadefuls  deliberately  thrown  over  the 
roots  in  all  directions — while  A,  by  a  slight  shaking  and  pump- 
ing up  and  down  on  the  stem,  aids  the  earth  in  settling  around 
the  rootlets.  A  close  contact  of  the  soil  with  the  rootlets  is  the 
secret  of  success  in  planting.  Only  fine,  mellow  soil,  free  from 
stones  and  not  too  moist,  will  permit  such  adjustment  to  the 
rootlets,  which  should  also  be  aided  by  hands  and  fingers  filling 
in  every  crevice.  A,  while  setting  the  tree,  must  exercise  care 
to  keep  it  in  proper  position  and  perpendicular,  until  the  soil  is 
packed  so  as  to  keep  the  tree  in  place.  Then  B  and  C  rapidly 
fill  the  hole,  A  treading  down  the  soil  firmly  after  a  sufficient 
quantity  is  filled  in,  finishing  off  a  little  above  the  general  level 
to  allow  for  settling,  and  finally  placing  stones  or  any  mulching 
around  the  stem. 

"Do  not  use  water  while  planting  unless  it  is  very  carefully 
applied  with  a  'rose'  after  the  soil  is  well  filled  in  and  packed 
around  the  fibrous  roots.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  water 
poured  in  the  hole  while  it  is  being  filled  up.  This  practice  does 
harm  rather  than  good,  for  it  washes  the  fine  soil  away  from 
close  contact  with  the  roots,  leaving  empty  spaces  between  the 
roots,  or  even  leaving,  as  the  water  dries  and  the  earth  hardens, 
the  rootlets   in  the  midst  of   hollows   like  the   insides   of  pipe- 

[87] 


stems.  In  such  a  case  the_\'  cannot  touch  the  earth,  which  gives 
them  nutriment,  and  they  die.  More  trees  are  killed  by  too 
much  water  in  transplanting  than  by  too  little.  Water  after  the 
transplanting  is  useful,  and  should  be  applied  during  the  hot  sea- 
son, the  late  afternoon  or  evening  being  chosen  for  its  appli- 
cation." 


RULES    FOR    PRUNING    SHADE    AND    LAWN    TREES    AFTER 
TRANSPLANTING.* 

"All  deciduous  leaf  trees  after  transplanting  should  be  pruned 
or  cut  back  to  the  extent  of  the  injury  to  the  root  system  caused 
by  transplanting.  As  a  general  rule  one-half  of  the  top  should 
be  removed.  What  portion  of  the  top  should  be  cut  back  de- 
pends upon  the  kind  of  trees  planted  and  upon  the  shape  and 
size.  The  larger  the  tree  the  more  severe  should  the  pruning 
be. 

If  trees  are  not  pruned  after  transplanting,  they  are  very  apt 
to  die,  or  at  least  suffer  severely.  The  injured  roots  are  unable 
to  supply  enough  water  to  all  the  leaves,  hence  these  wilt  and 
die,  while  if  one-half  of  the  leaf  area  is  cut  back,  the  roots  are 
able  to  supply  the  remainder  with  water  for  evaporation  and  for 
the  growth  of  wood. 

If  large  branches  are  cut  off,  they  should  be  cut  close  to  the 
main  body  and  a  coat  of  paint  applied  to  the  wound  to  prevent 
decay.  All  pruning  should  be  done  with  a  sharp  knife  so  as  to 
leave  a  smooth  surface,  and  thus  permit  a  rapid  healing  of  the 
wound.  Some  prefer  pruning  before  planting  but  ordinarily 
it  is  better  to  prune  after  the  tree  is  set  out  as  one  can  better 
judge  the  symmetry  and  general  shape  of  the  tree.  Before 
planting  the  bruised  and  torn  roots  should  be  cut  off  smooth ; 
otherwise,  decay  is  very  apt  to  set  in. 

Evergreen  trees  should  not  be  pruned  at  all  as  it  injures  the 
shape.  For  this  reason  it  is  better  when  planting  evergreens  to 
plant  nursery  grown  trees  as  these  have  a  more  fibrous  root  sys- 
tem and  are  better  able  to  stand  the  shock  of  transplanting.     It 


*By  Prof.  E.  P.  Saiidsten,  University  of  Wisconsin. 

[88] 


is  advisable  in  most  cases  to  mulch  around  the  tree  after  plant- 
ing. Evergreen  trees,  as  above  stated,  should  not  be  pruned  at 
all,  not  even  the  lower  branches  as  the  chief  beauty  of  the  ever- 
greens lies  in  their  natural  growth.  The  branches  should  be 
permitted  to  reach  the  ground  so  as  to  form  a  continuous  line  of 
green  on  the  ground  with  the  lawn." 


SHRUBS. 

Shrubs  should  never  be  planted  singly  in  the  schoolyard,  but 
should  be  grouped  in  masses  in  fence  corners  and  elsewhere. 
The  location  of  the  shrubbery  should  be  very  definitely  indicated 
on  the  schoolground  plan.  Large  groups  of  shrubs  may  be 
used  as  screens  for  outbuildings.  Use  the  taller  varieties  as  a 
background  and  plant  the  lower  in  front.  If  it  is  desired  to 
plant  shrubbery  along  a  fence  line,  do  not  plant  with  geometric 
exactness,  but  let  the  outline  waver,  showing  high  dense  masses 
in  some  places  and  perhaps  only  single  low  bushes  in  others. 
Pine  trees  make  a  good  background  for  shrubbery. 

All  shrubs  used  in  schoolyards  should  be  hardy.  Many  good 
specimens  may  be  found  in  the  woods.  Professor  L.  H.  Clark 
of  the  River  Falls  Normal  School,  who  has  had  great  success  in 
beautifying  his  own  premises,  gives  the  following  list  of  shrubs 
native  to  Wisconsin  which  are  fairly  well  adapted  for  school- 
ground  planting:  Sumac;  Leatherwood  or  Moosewood;  Black 
haw;  Wahoo;  Prickly  ash;  Nine-bark  (a  spirea)  ;  High  bush 
cranberry ;  Wild  rose ;  Elderberry ;  New  Jersey  tea  and  Kinnikinic. 
He  also  mentions  among  cultivated  shrubs  the  tartarian  honey- 
suckle as  being  one  of  the  best  of  shrubs  for  screening  purposes. 
Professor  Mitchell's  list  of  desirable  shrubs  is  as  follows :  1. 
Persian  lilac  (10  ft.);  2.  Spirea  Van  Houttii  (6  ft.);  3.  Rosa 
rugosa,  red  and  white  (4  ft.)  ;  4.  Hydrangea  paniculata  (2-3 
ft.);  5.  Syringa,  Mock  orange  (7-10  ft.);  6.  Weigelia,  rose, 
white  (3-7  ft);  7.  Black-berried  elder,  comm.on  (3-5  ft.);  8. 
Staghorn  sumac  (6-18  ft.)  ;  9.  Red  osier  dogwood,  common  (5- 
7  ft.)  ;  10.  Deutzia  gracilis  (18  in.). 

[89] 


Below  is  a  list  of  exotic  shrubs  from  Professor  Cranefield. 
They  are  all  hardy. 

Common  lilac,  purple  and  white;  Persian  lilac  (4-6  ft); 
Tartarian  honeysuckle  (12-15  ft);  Syringa  (8-12  ft);  Rosa 
rugosa;  Amur  tamarix;  Common  barberry;  Thumberg's  bar- 
berry (3-^  ft);  Snowberry  (3-4  ft);  Oleaster  (8-10  ft); 
Weigelia  (6-10  ft.)  ;  Van  Houten's  spirea. 

To  these  he  adds  a  list  of  hardy  native  shrubs:  Ninebark 
spirea;  Red  osier  dogwood;  Wahoo;  Thimbleberry ;  Common 
elder;  Currants  (red  and  black)  ;  Wild  rose;  Willow-leaf  spirea 
or  Meadow  sweet ;  Button  bush ;  Sumac  and  Leatherwood. 

VINES. 

Vines  are  wonderful  beautifiers  and  may  be  used  to  cover  or 
screen  almost  any  unsightly  spot  on  the  schoolgromids.  They 
look  well  climbing  over  porches  and  between  windows,  over  old 
stumps  and  along  fences. 

Probably  one  of  the  best  for  hiding  objects  which  are  not  pleas- 
ant to  look  upon  is  the  Virginia  creeper  or  common  woodbine. 
The  wild  grape  looks  well  running  into  old  trees.  The  wild  hop 
is  also  desirable,  and  the  Clematis  paniculata  and  Clematis  Vir- 
giniana,  the  latter  being  native  to  many  parts  of  the  state.  The 
crimson  rambler  rose  is  good  for  porches  and  fences.  If  quick 
growing  vines  are  wanted,  plant  the  wild  cucumber  or  morning 
glory. 

It  is  probably  best  not  to  plant  vines  so  that  they  will  come 
directly  in  contact  with  the  outside  of  the  school  building,  though 
in  some  cases  they  may  preserve  rather  than  injure  it.  Pro- 
fessor Clark  gives  the  following  device  for  protecting  the  build- 
ing: "If  it  is  deemed  advisable  to  have  them  (vines)  on  the 
school  building,  netted  wire  fencing  may  be  attached  to  the  cor- 
nice. First  drive  staples  into  the  cornice  where  it  is  desired  to 
fasten  the  support  for  the  vines.  Then  bend  the  free  ends  of 
the  wire  and  hook  them  directly  into  the  staples.  The  lower  end 
of  the  fencing  may  then  be  fastened  securely  to  hardwood  stakes 
driven  into  the  ground  directly  below  the  cornice.  The  support 
can  be  taken  down  without  injury  to  the  vines,  whenever  it  is  de- 
sirable to  paint  the  schoolhousc." 

[90] 


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FLOWERS. 


Do  not  too  greatly  indulge  your  taste  for  flowers.  Flowers 
require  more  attention  than  hardy  shrubs  and  vines,  and  when 
school  is  closed  for  the  long  vacation  they  are  apt  to  suffer. 
However,  if  arrangement  can  be  made  to  give  them  proper  care, 
a  few  perennials  and  even  some  annuals  may  be  planted  if  they 
are  confined  to  borders  and  out  of  the  way  places.  They  should 
never  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  the  children's  playgrounds. 

It  should  also  be  remembered  that  flower  beds  are  unsightly 
mounds  during  a  great  portion  of  the  year.  A  few  hollyhocks 
near  one  of  the  buildings  will  help  to  decorate,  and  a  bunch  of 
golden  glow  is  beautiful  in  late  summer. 

Professor  Clark  has  had  great  success  in  planting  wild  flowers 
in  a  bed  extending  around  his  house.  This  plan  might  be  fol- 
lowed on  schoolgrounds.  The  children  will  be  glad  to  bring 
wild  plants  and  ferns  from  the  woods.  A  bed  two  or  three 
feet  wide  close  to  the  building  may  be  made  without  interfering 
with  the  playgrounds.  The  soil  must  of  course  be  rich.  With 
care  in  transplanting  and  a  little  attention  such  a  bed  will  prove  a 
joy. 


THE   LAWN. 

All  grass  plots  should  be  kept  cut,  and  a  lawn  mower  bought 
for  the  purpose.  If  pupils  are  interested  in  the  appearance  of 
the  grounds  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  keeping  the  lawn  mowed. 
Toward  the  end  of  the  summer  the  cut  grass  should  not  be  raked 
off  the  lawn  but  should  remain  where  it  falls.  Never  allow  a 
new  lawn  to  mature  seed. 


PROFESSOR  SANDSTEN  S  OFFER. 

E.  P.  Sandsten,  Professor  of  Horticulture  in  the  University  of 
Wisconsin,  has  offered  to  make,  free  of  charge,  plans  for  arrang- 
ing and  planting  schoolgrounds  surrounding  schoolhouses  in  two 

[93] 


districts  of  each  county  in  the  state,  and  to  give  advice  free  of 
charge  to  teachers  and  school  boards  in  the  state,  desiring  to  beau- 
tify the  schoolgrounds  under  their  charge. 

Each  county  superintendent  is  earnestly  urged  to  make  selection 
of  two  schools  under  his  supervision  and  to  apply  to  Professor 
Sandsten  for  plans  for  the  beautification  of  these  grounds,  and 
further,  to  see  that  the  plans  are  carried  out  with  exactness. 


DIRECTIONS    FOR    MAKING    MAPS    OF    SCHOOLGROUNDS 
FOR  PROFESSOR  SANDSTEN 's   USE. 

It  is  very  important  that  a  teacher  make  as  complete  a  plan  as 
possible  of  the  groimds  and  buildings,  otherwise  the  landscape 
gardener  cannot  properly  arrange  the  planting  and  the  laying  out 
of  walks. 

First.  Make  a  plain  sketch  or  outline  of  the  grounds  with  the 
dimensions  for  each  side. 

Second.  Mark  the  buildings,  size  and  outline  and  give  their 
location  on  the  grounds,  measuring  from  at  least  two  points  on 
connecting  boundary  lines. 

Third.  Fill  in  each  tree  and  shrub  in  its  approximate  position 
giving  distances  from  two  points  on  connecting  boundary  lines. 

Fourth.  Fill  in  the  existing  walks  and  mark  their  location 
from  two  points  on  connecting  boundary  lines. 

Fifth.  Indicate  on  the  plan  whether  there  is  more  than  one 
highway  leading  to  or  by  the  school. 

Sixth.  Tell  briefly  the  nature  of  the  immediate  surroundings 
of  the  school  grounds. 

Seventh.  State  briefly  the  topography  of  the  grounds  and  in- 
dicate whether  a  separate  playground  is  desirable. 

On  the  following  pages  appear  two  maps  of  schoolgrounds  pre- 
pared under  the  supervision  of  Miss  Julia  Rockafellow,  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  for  Waukesha  County.  The  landscape  plan 
prepared  by  Professor  Sandsten  follows  each  map. 

The  numbers  following  the  names  of  shrubs  menticmed  by 
Professor  Sandsten  indicate  how  many  of  each  kind  are  needed 
for  suggested  planting. 

[94] 


OF  THE       '      \ 

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DISTRICT  NO.  4.   TOWN  OP  BROOKFIELD,   WAUKESHA  COUNTY,   WIS. 

Simple  map  of  grounds  prepared  by  the  teacher  and  submitted  to  Prof. 

Sandsten. 

H.  Hickory. 

B.  Basswood. 

M.  Maple. 

E.  Elm. 

T.  A.  Thorn  Apple. 

F.    P.  Flag  Pole. 


Mk    ®fl 


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DISTRICT  NO.   i,   TOWN  OF  BROOKFIELD,    WAUKESHA  COUNTY,    WIS. 

Plan  for  planting  grounds  prepared  by  Prof.  Sandsten. 

Hickory. 

Basswood. 

Maple. 

Elm. 

Thorn   Apple. 

Flag  Pole. 

Aiimr  Tamarix,  .36. 

Riis.sian  Olive,   52. 

Tluimberg's  Barberry.  34. 

Red   Dogwood,   40. 

Rosa   Rngosa,   90. 

Mofk  Orange,   36. 

Tartarian    Honeysuckle,    84. 

Purple  Barberry,  18. 

Cut  Leaved  Birch,  3. 

Colorado  Blue   Spruce,  3. 


H. 

B. 

M. 

E. 

T. 

A. 

F. 

P. 

A. 

T. 

R. 

O. 

Th. 

B. 

R. 

I). 

R. 

R. 

M. 

O. 

T. 

H. 

P. 

B. 

C. 

B. 

Col 

S. 

DISTRICT  NO.  6,  TOWN  OF  SUMMIT,  WAUKESHA  COUNTY,  WIS. 

Simple  plan  of  grounds  prepared  by  the  teacher  and  submitted  to  Prof. 

Sandsten. 


B.  B.  Box  Elder. 

O.  Oak. 

W.  Well. 

F.   P.  Flag  Pole. 


DISTRICT   XU.  e,   TOWN  OF  SUMMIT,    WAUKESHA  COUNTY,   WIS. 
I'hui  for  plniiting  grounds  prepared  by  Prof.  Sandsten. 


B. 

E. 

Box  Elder. 

O. 

Oak. 

W. 

Well. 

I'. 

r. 

Flag  Pole. 

U. 

1). 

Ui'il   Dogwood,  100. 

T. 

H. 

Tartarian  Honeysuckle,  40 

J. 

L,. 

Lilac   (Japanese),   36. 

M. 

O. 

Mock  Orange,  18. 

Th. 

B. 

Tbuinberg's  Barberry,  30. 

A. 

T. 

Amur    Tamarix,    30. 

K 

O. 

Russian   Olive,   28. 

C. 

B. 

Cut   Leaved   Bircb,   1. 

EI. 

Elm.  1. 

UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA 
LIBRARY 

This  is  the  date  on  which  this 
book  was  charged  out. 


mi: 


rviAh  14  1912 
DUE   AUG  3 

CEC  10  1962 


[30m-6,'ll] 


:w^v^^ 


"r^'^i^ 


